In Love With You
by FriendsLovers
Summary: Danny, Lindsay, Don and Jess are studying at NYU. Friendship and love is what is connecting them. - DL, with FA
1. Chapter 1

**In Love With You**

**Summary: Danny, Lindsay, Don and Jess are studying at NYU. Friendship and love is what is connecting them. - DL, FA**

**Author's note: Yep, another AU, but this time different to what I usually do. In this fic they're studying, at New York University. So they're around 20 or 21 years old. I've done some research but if some things aren't correct, please be kind.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything.**

**Rating: T**

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**It was early. Way too early for waking up already on a Saturday morning. Carefully opening one eye, Lindsay Monroe glanced at the window of her little bedroom that was luckily still covered by her curtains. The sun was shining, so much she could see already. Then again this was nothing unusual in summer; the sun was waking her before her alarm clock would even think about ringing.

Sighing lightly, the young criminal law student rolled onto her other side, peeking at said alarm clock. It was just 8 a.m. Definitely too early to get up already after being awake til far after midnight. If this had been due to partying, it wouldn't be too bad. But as long as studying kept her up and running that late, she wasn't all too excited about it.

Lindsay closed her eyes, just to let them fly open again a second later at the sound she could hear from what she assumed was the kitchen. Obviously fellow criminal law student Jess Angell was an early riser as well. This also was nothing new to Lindsay. Usually she and her friend, who she shared the pretty little apartment at Mercer Residence, were up a lot earlier than their fellow students who sometimes managed to sleep in til evening.

Mercer Residence had one big advantage for the student of the New York University who had decided they wanted to study law; it was located right across of Vanderbilt Hall, the main classroom building of the NYU School of Law. But Lindsay wouldn't have minded going for a walk through the city either; from back home in Montana she was used to long walks.

Sighing deeply, Lindsay sat up, knowing that now that she was awake, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again anyway. She stretched her arms, yawned and ran her hands through her curly hair. She freed herself of her blanket and walked over to the window. With one quick motion she pushed the curtains away, once again briefly squeezing her eyes shut as she was blinded by the bright sunshine. She opened the window, instantly greeted by a warm, fresh breeze, announcing that yet another sunny day was expecting her.

A smile lit Lindsay's face as she took a deep breath. Not as delicious and fresh as the air back home in Montana but nice anyway. Briefly she glanced downwards, like always shuddering. She would never get used to the fact she was living in such a high floor.

She remained standing at the open window a bit longer before she closed it again and left her bedroom. Like expected she found Jess in the kitchen, even that early in the morning already fully awake and in a good mood that somehow managed to help her get rid of her tiredness as well.

"Good morning, Linds," she greeted her with a bright smile. An eyebrow she raised as her friend yawned. "Why so tired? Don't tell me you've been studying all night again for this exam. It's still more than a week."

Lindsay chuckled, grabbing one of the mugs for a much needed coffee. "Yes, I did, but only because I don't want to spend the weekend with studying."

Jess winked. "Friday is weekend as well." She leant against the kitchen counter. "Don asked if we don't want to meet for breakfast. You'd like to join us? Danny will be there as well."

The last part of her answered had been said in a tone Lindsay knew only too well. "Will you get that started again?" she asked, taking a deep sip of her coffee.

Jess laughed. "You mean reminding you of the fact that you have a major crush on him? Yeah, I guess so. Oh, and that's also the reason why you'll have to come with me, because you know...I won't miss a chance to make you spend time together."

Lindsay groaned. "Jess, come on. There's never anything going to happen between him and me. You know him! He can have every woman on campus, he's like everybody's darling. Why should he even think about hooking up with me? I guess the only reason why we're friends is because you're together with his best friend."

Jess stared at her best friend in disbelief, shaking her head. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "First of all, only because he's one of the most loved baseball players of our uni team doesn't mean anything, okay? I'm together with Don and he's one as well. Plus you're part of the cheerleading team. You're a wonderful person and I don't want you to talk about yourself like that, alright?"

Lindsay sighed. The two of them had had this conversation so many times. Almost since they had started to study at NYU a few months ago, Jess, also part of the cheerleading team like her, was together with baseball player Don Flack. Don's best friend Danny Messer was a fellow baseball player. And one of the most favourite men at the campus. Women were running after him like he was a walking shoe shop. Not surprising as Danny knew what to do to get women attracted to him.

Since Jess was together with Don, Lindsay and Danny also were meeting occasionally; due to the couple but also because over the months they had gotten friends as well. As much as she tried to deny it, Lindsay had to admit she was attracted to him. Only because he was nice to her and they got along as if they knew each other for years already didn't mean there was anything going to happen between them. Or that he was even interested in her. She just didn't see herself as this kind of women he was interested in. Jess seemed to have a different opinion about that. That aside, Lindsay didn't see herself ready for starting any kind of a relationship again any time soon. Especially not one of those Danny seemed to prefer.

"Do you want to know what I think?" Jess asked then. "Don't get offended by that, please, but I think aside from the fact that you're just not seeing he's interested in you as well, you wouldn't even want to see it because you're scared."

"I'm not scared," Lindsay replied, not trying to add any determination to her voice as she knew Jess knew her better.

"I can understand you're careful with this whole relationship stuff," she replied. "But not all men are the same. Only because one was an ass doesn't mean every other is."

"Can we not talk about that now?" Lindsay wanted to know. She was definitely not in the mood to talk about her previous relationship. "It's such a nice morning, I could think of better things to do."

"Of course," Jess replied, not hesitant to drop the topic immediately. "Just make sure that you don't keep yourself away from him because of this idiot, okay?"

"I'll try my best," Lindsay said. "So...when are we going to meet them for breakfast?"

Jess offered another smile as she answered.

* * *

"Why do you even bother?" Don wanted to know, shaking his head at Danny. The two men were sitting at one of the tables on the terrasse of the cafe they had chosen for breakfast.

"Why do I bother?" Danny repeated, taking his sunglasses off to give his best friend a confused look. "Could you be a bit more explicit?"

Don leant back in his chair. "I don't get why you keep on flirting with all those women. Do you really need all those excited looks and smiles they give you?"

Danny smirked. "What's the problem, man? I'm flirting, it's fun. There's nothing wrong with that."

"No, it's not. But I wonder why you bother while you're clearly interested in one certain woman anyway," Don replied with raised eyebrows.

Danny glanced back at him for a moment before he sighed. "Yeah, I am. Interested in the one woman who's not interested in me," he answered. "So how else am I supposed to keep myself from getting frustrated by the fact that the one woman I want doesn't want me?"

Don rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot, Messer. She doesn't want you? Are you kidding me? She's just as much after you as you're after her. At least you stopped those random one night stands. A month without sex means a lot in your case."

Danny glared at his friend. He knew he was just teasing him, but still it bugged him sometimes. He had to admit he had had his fare share of one night stands and meaningless relationships. After all he couldn't resist the chances as women were running after him especially since he and Don had joined the baseball team. It was true though that in fact he had already found a woman he truly cared for. But despite what Don was saying, he didn't believe Lindsay was interested in him.

"Speaking of a certain woman," Don said then, nodding his head over to the sidewalk. Lindsay and Jess had already spotted them as they flashed them smiles and made their way right over to them. Danny couldn't prevent himself from giving Lindsay a look over. She was dressed in a plain white top and a short black skirt. It suited her perfectly. The fact he was staring didn't stay unnoticed by her as her cheeks flushed lightly at his obvious attention; another thing he found very attractive.

"Hey," Jess greeted them, instantly bending down to give her boyfriend a kiss before she sat down next to him. Lindsay sat down next to Danny, giving him a greeting smile.

"I think those two must have some magnets in their lips," he said with a nod at Don and Jess who were exchanging kisses across of them.

Lindsay chuckled. "Yeah, isn't it lovely to be in love?" She covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to hide the yawn she couldn't suppress.

"Someone looks tired," Danny stated. "You've been up all night or something?"

Lindsay nodded, yawning once again before she gave him an excusing smile. "I've been studying. This exam in over a week is making me kinda nervous."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "It's been a Friday night, you should be doing better things than studying til you can't keep your eyes open anymore." His smirk widened as her cheeks reddened even more.

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Absolutely." He nodded. "You should go out with your friends. Like with me for example. I know a lot of things that are far more entertaining than studying."

She blushed even more but before Lindsay could reply, Don stepped in. "Oh, did I tell you already they're planning another party at the bar of our lovely home tonight?"

"Really?" Danny looked at his friend in surprise. "Why didn't I know about that?"

"Possibly because you've been somewhere else with your thoughts too often?" Don suggested, with a tiny glance towards Lindsay. "So how about you, ladies? Anyone going to join me and Danny?"

"Of course I'll join you," Jess replied, linking her arm with his. She turned to Lindsay. "How about you?"

"Oh, well..." Lindsay answered, quickly debating whether to agree or not.

"What are you thinking about, Montana?" Danny asked her, using the nickname he had given her when he had found out where she was from. "There's no way you're going to study again all night, even if this means we'll have to carry you to the party."

He didn't notice the knowing grin Jess flashed her best friend. Lindsay gave her a warning look before she sighed playfully. "I don't have a chance to say no, right?"

"Perfectly right," Danny said. "I take that as a yes then."

Don grinned satisfied. "So it's the four of us then? Fantastic."

Once again Lindsay glanced at Danny who was still smirking at her. She didn't mind to go to this party with her friends. Something was telling her though that this might turn out to be different than the parties before.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! That was a really nice surprise! Thanks also for adding the fic to your favourites and alerts of course! Here is a new update for you! Special thanks to afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, dannymesserforever11, Dine89, NothatRose and rhymenocerous!**

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**Lindsay could think of better things than a party. She was just no fan of them for a reason. While everyone seemed to get hyped up when there was the prospect of going out or just celebrating for whatever reason in the bar of their residence, she was usually not all too excited about that.

Sometimes though even she joined them. She wasn't one who locked herself at home and didn't like to go out either. She was interested in other things, simple like that. Jess had once said that she believed she was just used to other activities from where she had grown up, which could indeed be another explanation.

This time though there had been no way to contradict. After another night of torturing herself with studying, she really needed some time off. Going out with her closest friends definitely would distract her.

But she also knew that she couldn't go back up into the apartment she and Jess shared before it was at least far after midnight. So she had decided to catch up on some sleep and had lain down in the evening.

Lindsay didn't know how long she had been sleeping as she was woken up by her bedroom door being pushed open and the curtains being pushed aside.

"Good evening, sleeping beauty," Jess shouted, in her usual active voice. "Are you planning on sleeping yourself through the party?"

Lindsay groaned, hiding her face in her pillow although the expected sunshine wasn't even blinding her this time. "What are you saying, it can't be that late yet," she said into the pillow.

Jess sighed. "It is. It's six and they'll start at eight. Means two more hours to get dressed up and I don't want to waste one of those two hours with dragging you out of your bed. So get up yourself please."

With another groan, Lindsay flipped onto her bed. She watched how Jess ripped her closet open and started to look through her clothes. "Why do you even want to dress up? Your boyfriend loves you in everything."

Jess chuckled. "I don't dress up for Don, I'm doing it for myself. A party is even more fun when you can choose some nice clothes and all." She paused. "And of course it's also nice to present yourself to your boyfriend and then have him wait all night long until he can do anything with you."

Lindsay rolled her eyes playfully, couldn't help but chuckle though. "At least we have thick walls."

"We'll need them when you and Danny finally get together," Jess replied with a wink.

Despite herself, Lindsay's face turned red immediately. "Sometimes I feel like kids with what we're saying," she said.

Jess laughed. "I guess kids wouldn't talk about such a topic. Now get out of your bed finally."

"Only if you tell me what you're doing in my closet," she replied, indeed freeing herself of her blanket though to get up.

"I'm looking for what you could wear," Jess answered.

"And why can't I do that myself?" Lindsay wanted to know.

"Because even though the both of us are two years behind with fashion, I still won't let you run around in your normal jeans and a t-shirt," her friend stated.

"I wasn't running around like that earlier either." Lindsay joined her at the closet. "Why do you even care?"

Jess stopped turning to her friend and resting her hands on her hips. "You want to hear the honest reason? Because you're driving em crazy with being so stubborn and as I can't make you make the first step, I'm trying to make Danny do it. He's too nice to actually see when a girl is in love with him as much as he is in love with her, so I'll have to tease him until he'll make the first step, even with the risk of you turning him down."

Lindsay stared at her friend, needing a moment to process what she had been hearing. "That's totally hilarious," she said then, shaking her head. "Why do you want us to hook up so badly?"

"Why?" Jess sighed. "That's easy. Because he's not the player he seems to be; he just finally needs a real woman like you. And you're still so scared from your former relationship that you need a man like him who truly cares for you and can make you see again that not all men suck."

Lindsay had expected a lot of answers but not this one. The look in her friend's eyes told she was truly doing this for her, not for any other reason. "I'm not scared of relationships," she answered then. "I'm just careful. I just don't want to invest so much into a person who's not worse it."

"I think that's an understatement," Jess replied. "And I can see what a damage this lying, selfish and manipulative bastard did to you. You can't avoid relationships forever though. You're falling in love with Danny, you can't deny that. Do you just want to ignore that? I know you don't believe he's interested in you but I know he is. And it'd be a shame if you didn't react to that." She paused. "Linds, he wouldn't treat you like that. I know how they talk about him, but he wouldn't just use you and then throw you away. He's not like that. Just give him a chance to prove that."

Lindsay didn't know what to reply to that. She knew Jess knew her better than she wished sometimes. She was indeed careful since her first and so far only relationship had been far from nice. He hadn't abused her physically, but still had found a lot of other ways to hurt her. She knew Jess was right though. She couldn't avoid relationships forever, and she was getting tired of fighting feelings down.

"Have you been any successful in there?" she asked then.

Jess smiled and nodded as she handed the found clothes to her. Lindsay was still planning on being careful. But maybe she could at least try to make a new step. And try to find out if her friend and Don were right with what they were saying about Danny and herself.

* * *

The bar was filled with students already, music was blasting from the boxes, the first bottles had been emptied already. Leaning against the bar, beer bottle in one hand, Don was watching Danny with amusement.

"You're really interesting, you know that?" he asked.

Danny turned to him, raising his eyebrows. "Sorry, Don. You're nice but I'm not interested."

Don laughed. "Good one, Messer. Seriously though, I find it kinda fascinating how you've been changing over the months we're studying here."

"Everyone has to grow up one day," Danny simply replied, taking a sip of his own beer. "Even you did."

"Yeah, due to Jess," Don said, smirking at the thought of his girlfriend. They had gotten together surprisingly fast and to him it was the definition of a perfect relationship. It had been a nice coincidence that all four of them somewhere along the line had chosen to study criminal law. "And it's also a woman who's making you change. Which I find really interesting to watch. When we started here, you couldn't get enough of all the parties and women. And now you spend your time with daydreaming over a certain girl from Montana." When Danny glared at him, he added, "Come on, we're adults I'd say, right?"

"Doesn't mean we have to constantly discuss that," Danny told him. "I also don't question you about your relationship."

"I wouldn't mind if you did."

Danny sighed. "I do mind when you question me about what I'm feeling though, okay?"

Don smirked. "No, you don't mind that. I know you. We've had too many in detail conversations about all your so called relationships."

"This here is different," Danny replied before he could stop himself. The way Don's smirk widened made him groan. "I take that back."

"Too late," Don told him. "It is indeed different, because you're in love with her. Which is good, maybe that way you can finally have a relationship that lasts longer than a night. And about the conversations, if you believe I'll use all that against you, you should know me better by now."

"Well, you always need two for that, right?" Danny said.

Don only rolled his eyes at his friend. Danny ignored this response. He didn't actually know what his problem was. It was true that he was slowly losing interest in all the flirting and for over the month he hadn't gotten anywhere close the bedroom of a woman. Talking about what he was really feeling for Lindsay though was a lot more difficult than discussing his one night stands with Don. He didn't know why. It also didn't matter to him.

* * *

It was getting close to half past eight as the women finally showed up at the bar as well, dressed up and with smiles that seemed to brighten up the room.

"Hey!" Don shouted at them, waving. "You two have been late."

"Ladies need their time to get ready. It's polite to be late," Danny replied with a wink at Lindsay, instantly managing to snap out of his thoughts and finding back to his old teasing self.

"I hope it was at least worth it," Jess said with a smirk as she kissed Don. "Sorry we let you wait but we got a bit distracted by Lindsay's closet."

"You got distracted by what?" Danny gave Lindsay an amused look.

She sighed. "Jess thought it was funny to dig through my clothes even though I was dressed already. Nothing too fascinating."

He smirked. "Well, obviously you were successful on your search for the perfect outfit." On purpose he gave her a look over. "Very nice indeed."

"You're looking nice yourself," she replied, smiling before she quickly ordered herself a drink.

"I hope you didn't waste your weekend with all the studying again," Don said, one arm wrapped around his girlfriend now who had taken his beer over.

"Oh, can you please not bring any exams up here?" Jess asked him. "We'll have to bother with that enough next week. This lecture is driving me crazy anyway."

"We could just study together," Don suggested. "The four of us, you know. Old fashioned way to study and with friends it's usually always easier."

"Depends on who you're studying with," Lindsay laughed. "Sometimes you also just do everything but what you're supposed to do."

"Could happen," Danny agreed, handing her drink that had just arrived to her. "But for tonight exams are no topic. We're here for better things."

"Absolutely," Jess agreed, setting the now empty bottle back onto the bar before she grabbed one of her boyfriend's arms. "Stop chatting and dance with me finally."

Grumbling, Don followed Jess onto the dance floor under the amused looks of their friends who remained at the bar with their drinks.

"You wanna join them?" Danny wanted to know as Lindsay had finished her drink.

"Oh, you know I'm not a dancer," she said, giving him an almost shy smile. "I think I need a few more drinks before I go out there." She was grateful for the fact the light was hiding the fact she was blushing lightly. Usually on parties she remained as close to the bar as possible or joined Jess when her friend didn't accept any of her excuses. Lindsay wasn't shy. There were still things holding her back. Things that once had been no topic for her. And so far she hadn't managed to get over them.

"That's what you always say, but I saw something different before," Danny replied with a wink. And instead of arguing with her, he simply grabbed her delicate hand and pulled her with him.

"Can't you just dance with someone else?" Lindsay wanted to know as he dragged her with him. "There are definitely enough women who would be overly happy if you did that."

"Just with the problem that I rather want you," he stated. Once again Lindsay cursed herself for blushing as she not only noticed the hint of a double statement in his words but also saw the smirk her best friend gave her. She couldn't stop herself from remembering what she and Jess had discussed earlier. She couldn't keep this wall up forever and happier it wasn't making her either. They were out for fun. It was about time she started to work on getting over what was holding her back.

"Fine," she said then. "But I only do that when you'll buy me the next drink."

He grinned. "I'll buy you every drink you want for dancing with me."

And so Lindsay followed Danny onto the dance floor, determined to just enjoy the fun. There was no reason for forcing herself to not enjoy this party. And if by any chance this brought them closer, it would be worth it even more.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Now I almost forgot to update! But here is a new chapter now! Wow, thank you so incredibly much for all the reviews! I'm happy to see you're liking the idea and are interested in reading more. :) Special thanks to rapidtetv, SMacked Hard, afrozenheart412, dannymesserforever11, NothatRose, Dine89, xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx and Jupitor's-Cowgirl!**

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**Lindsay had to admit that in fact she liked to dance. Back home in Montana she had been out dancing in bars a lot. The difference was; people seemed to enjoy different kinds of music and dances in the city and somehow among all those students she felt hesitant. To top it, she was there with Danny and even though she would never admit it, she didn't want to make a fool out of herself in front of him.

Anyway she hadn't had a chance when he had grabbed her and dragged her onto the dance floor. She didn't miss the glares she was receiving from other women which she partly knew or had never seen before. She was well aware of the fact that many female fellow students weren't too happy to see her being friends with Danny.

She found those reactions childish. Only because the two of them were friends didn't mean there was going to happen anything between them. And even if this would happen, it was their decision. Lindsay had never been a jealous person, she was well aware of the fact that other people were completely different when it came to that. Especially women had a talent to go after those who could be a rival for them.

This had been one reason why Lindsay hadn't wanted to enter the cheerleader team. Back in highschool she had already stayed away from those activities. Jess though had been interested in doing it and somehow had managed to talk her into it. Her best friend had a talent for that. Not only hadn't she tried everything to make them become close like sisters within the first few days they were living together but also had made her go out more. And enter the cheerleader team. This had been where Jess had met Don. And where Lindsay had met Danny.

Lindsay was aware of the fact that she wasn't like most of the other women in the cheerleader team. Jess was different either though and as long as her friend was by her side, not giving a bit on what the others were thinking, she would simply do the same.

Now they were on the dance floor and Lindsay didn't miss the winks she got from Jess. She didn't know why her friend was so pushy regarding the two of them getting together. Jess's explanations though made sense to her. Her best friend was the only one who knew every detail about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Damien. This relationship had made her become careful. She wasn't going to throw herself into a new one and give as much as she had done with this person again that easily. But she agreed that she shouldn't block out any close connections with men either.

"You're still not that comfortable?" Danny asked her, causing Lindsay to snap back to the present.

"Oh, it's just...I'm no dancer," she replied, blushing lightly. Instinctively she glanced over at a near group of women. The looks they gave her quickly made her look away again.

"Or it's just the wrong music," he said with a wink. "Give me a second."

With that he led her over to the edge of the dance floor before he headed over to the DJ. Lindsay raised an eyebrow as she watched the two men exchange a few words. Her curiosity increased as Danny winked at her. A moment later she understood why. Because the usual party music was replaced by country music that now blasted out of the boxes.

"Is this your taste?" he asked, returning with a broad grin. And without waiting for an answer, Danny grabbed her arm again and pulled Lindsay with him over to where Jess and Don were standing.

"Good music," Jess said with a wink at Lindsay. "You still not willing to dance?"

"Not a chance," Danny answered for her.

She glanced at her friends with raised eyebrows. Just a moment later though, Lindsay, Danny, Don and Jess were twirling over the dance floor, moving to the country music that definitely was her taste. All of the sudden, the looks of people didn't matter anymore. The discomfort was no longer holding her back. Instead she was simply enjoying herself, along with her friends and without wasting a single thought on anyone else.

* * *

The night went on and after a few songs and a few drinks, Lindsay found herself not fully sober anymore. She wasn't one to drink much, but when she was out, it happened automatically and she could take surprisingly much.

Currently she was simply feeling comfortable. Anyway she realised she was slowly getting drunk and as her head was starting to spin, she decided to leave the dance floor for at least a few minutes before she would faint in the middle of it or do anything else embarrassing. Just then, as she stopped dancing, she realised how affected she really was by the alcohol and not daring to climb onto one of the stools, she leant against the counter of the bar.

"Are you okay?"

Danny's words caused her to look up. She hadn't noticed how he had followed her and found him now standing in front of her with a concerned expression in his eyes.

"I think I...had a bit too much," Lindsay answered, feeling how her cheeks flushed instantly. "Didn't even notice that."

He smiled softly. "Yeah, you indeed drank quite a lot. Why don't we go outside for a bit? Fresh air usually clears your mind."

She snorted. "Air in New York City isn't fresh."

Chuckling, he grabbed her arm gently and led her to the exit of the bar. "Then let's say we'll catch some city air instead."

"Whatever you say," Lindsay replied, willingly following him though. She was still in a state of mind where she was fully aware of what she was doing. Just her body didn't seem to fully cooperate anymore and she agreed that the air inside this bar wouldn't help her with that.

Together they left the residence and the moment they walked through the door that led them outside, a warm, fresh breeze hit her, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Whoa, easy there, Montana," Danny said, steadying her with one arm around her waist and one on her arm. "You really had too much. Let's get you over to the bench over there, I don't want to risk you falling."

Lindsay only nodded in response. They made their way over to one of the benches that was located beneath a try. He helped her to sit down and with a relieved sigh, she leant against the back of it, closing her eyes for a moment. Indeed the fresh, warm air of the night felt good. Mixed with the rushing of the trees and the noises of traffic, it almost had a calming effect on her.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me," Danny's teasing voice said, causing her to open her eyes again and gaze at him.

"Sorry," she answered, feeling how her embarrassment was returning with full force. "I...well, sorry you left the party to get me out here. You can go back if you want."

Danny raised an eyebrow at her. "You seriously thinking I'll leave a semi drunk, young woman out here all by her own while not only this is a pretty dangerous city while, to top that, there are all those weird, drunk guys hanging around all over here? No way."

Lindsay's face reddened even more. "Then...just take me up to my apartment maybe and I'll stay there. It's really not your job to take care of me."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You make it sound like a burden that I'm together with you here. It's not, just so you know. I love to spend time with you."

"Really?" Lindsay asked before she could stop herself. Her face had to look like a tomato at this point. "God, that sounded stupid."

He smirked lightly. "No, it didn't. And yes. How could I not enjoy that? You still don't notice how much I try to be around you?"

Not only was her face bright red, Lindsay could feel herself getting nervous as well. Alcohol could have the strangest effects on people. And very often they started to talk, more than they usually would.

"I think you drank too much as well," she stated.

"You think I'm not being hones?" Danny gave her a playfully hurt look. "Montana, how can you think that of me?"

Lindsay chuckled. "So you want to tell me you try to be around me as much as possible because you like being together with me so much?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

"But why?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Why not?" he asked back.

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Nice of you to give the question back. But to answer it...what for? You see how all those girls glare at me? They think you and I will get something started and that's pissing them off. But...I don't even know why because I hardly doubt you're interested in me at all. Why should you? You can have every woman you want, as if you'd bother to have a country girl from Montana. So yeah, we're good friends and it's nice you like to be around me, but...why should you bother to spend so much time with me while you could also just go to one of those millions of other women?" Just as everything was spoken out, Lindsay couldn't help but groan at herself. "Oh God, no. I'm such an idiot."

"You're not," Danny replied and to her surprise there was no teasing smirk anymore. Instead he had turned serious, watching her closely. "First of all, if we were just friends, why shouldn't I rather hang out with you than with some random girls who have nothing else to do but run after me?"

Lindsay had to admit his question made sense. "I should have warned you, I talk shit when I'm drunk."

He gave her a light smile. "I found that rather interesting. So you think all those girls are glaring at you. And they're doing that because they're either jealous because of this friendship or because they think there's more between us?"

Lindsay shrugged. "That's what I heard them say. In the locker room for example, after training and all. It's not coming from my imagination."

"Do you care for their opinion about you?" he wanted to know.

"Are you interrogating me?" Lindsay asked back, laughing nervously.

Danny shook his head. "Just answer."

She sighed. "Yes, a bit. See...there've been a few things happening in the past and I don't want to get into this position again. I don't want to be badmouthed by everyone around me. I know that's not happening here, but it always starts with like one or two people and I don't want to be the center of their gossip."

"So you'd rather go on distance to me?" Danny wanted to know. "Because in my eyes that'd be the only way to avoid the kind of gossiping you just mentioned."

Lindsay gazed up at him. "No. I wouldn't want to do that."

"Why not?" he asked.

Lindsay raised her eyebrows. "Now you are interrogating me." When he didn't respond, she sighed again and added, "I might hate myself for saying that later, but...well, you mean too much to me. I don't want people to have the power over me that with gossiping they ruin my friendships. Anyway it makes me nervous when they do that."

"Of course it does, it's normal. No one likes to be part of those girls' gossip," he replied. He paused, making her wonder what he was thinking about as he turned his gaze away for a moment. Then he looked back up at her and continued, "Um...now I might get myself into a complicated situation but earlier you said that while they think that there's something going on between us, it's never going to happen and then you said I could never be interested in a woman like you. Is that the only reason why you think we wouldn't get together?"

Lindsay stared at him with huge eyes at his question. She had been aware of what she had said during rambling and when the conversation had drifted towards gossiping, she had hoped he had forgotten about this part of her speech. Obviously he hadn't. Now she had two options. Either she lied at him and told him she wasn't interested either, which would not only ruin every chance of something ever getting started between them, also she would be yelled at by her best friend. Or she could use the fact she was slightly drunk and speak out what she was really thinking.

"Honestly?" she asked then. "Yes, that is the only reason."

She didn't miss the way his expression changed instantly at her words. "I see," Danny said. "Then I have to disappoint you, your idea of nothing ever going to happen between us is wrong."

"What?" Lindsay looked at him in confusion.

Danny was still giving her a serious look, but she didn't miss the hint of a smirk tearing at the corners of his mouth. "You said the only reason why we wouldn't get together is my lack of interest in you," he explained. "Which means that obviously you're interested in me and that wouldn't be a hindrance. But I'm no hindrance either. I don't know who the hell made you believe that you're not my type, or possibly you just have a weird impression of yourself. In my eyes though, you're more my type than any other woman I had so far. You're funny, friendly, loyal, you're always willing to help and you're honest. And to top that, you're incredibly sexy." He smirked fully now as her eyes widened at his words. "What I want to tell you with that is that this thing between us...possibly it was just friendship at the beginning for me, but that changed pretty quickly. You noticed I didn't date anyone in ages, right? That's because of you. You're the only one I want to date. You got it now?"

Lindsay could only stare back at Danny. In fact she shouldn't be surprised. Jess and even Don had told her that she should stop seeing their relationship as one between friends. Hearing the confirmation of that now was still unexpected. He was just as interested in her as she in him.

"Looks like I wasn't clear enough," he said then as she didn't manage to reply in minutes.

And without any more hesitation, Danny closed the last bit of distance between them and before Lindsay could react, he kissed her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, I totally forgot... But here is the next chapter and I really hope you'll like it! Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing, it makes me happy to see you like reading this fic! Now lets see what'll happen next. Special thanks to Lindsay1234, afrozenheart412, dannymesserforever11, NothatRose, Dine89 and SMacked Hard!**

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**The kiss had been a surprise. When Danny had moved closer, Lindsay had instinctively leant in. Instantly she had responded as his lips had met hers, in a kiss that made her shiver; gentle yet firm and intense.

Hours seemed to have passed when they parted again. No longer she believed the dizzy feeling she was experiencing was caused by alcohol as Lindsay got to face Danny again. Even then she felt like his lips were still pressed against her, so warm and soft as his tongue was expertly exploring hers.

"Wow," he said quietly, giving her a smirk that made her shiver once more. "That was...amazing. Do you understand what I wanted to tell you now?"

"Possibly," she replied, still overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. "Maybe you...could do that again."

Smirking at her words, Danny bent forward once more and kissed her again. The kiss was just as breath taking and amazing as the first one had been and Lindsay found herself wondering whether she was still awake or already dreaming. This time she was smiling herself as they parted again. They gazed at each other for endlessly long minutes. Never before she had felt anything like that between them; a tension and a connection that simply stunned her. She didn't have a doubt it had been there all the time. It had taken a kiss though to open their eyes and see it.

"Do you believe me now that it is you who I want?" Danny asked her softly, running a hand through her curly hair as he locked eyes with her.

Lindsay gazed back at him, feeling a warmth rising inside her at the softness in his expression and his words. It confirmed what she had believed all the time. He wasn't like those men she had met before. And especially he wasn't like her ex boyfriend. This didn't change though that she couldn't easily get rid of her intentions.

"Do we agree that we want to be together then?" she wanted to know.

"If that's what you want as well," he replied.

"Of course I want that as well," Lindsay told him. "But..." She sighed. "Well, I'm not sure I'm ready for this kind of relationship you're expecting from me."

Danny gave her a questioning look. "What do you think I'm expecting?"

She shrugged lightly. "I guess...well, it's difficult to explain what I even want to say." She chuckled nervously. "Possibly we could blame the alcohol."

"Give it a try," he said.

Lindsay sighed once again. She knew this was the moment where she could clarify what was holding her back. Sorting her thoughts wasn't easy but still she was sober enough to know what she wanted him to be aware of.

"I don't want to unload all that on you now," she started then. "But...so far I only had one relationship and that one didn't go well at all. I'm just careful and I don't want to rush things again."

"Would you mind to tell me what happened back then?" Danny wanted to know. "And before you say it, no, I don't mind to listen to it and it's not you unloading anything on me. I just want to know what happened."

It took Lindsay another few moments. It was a strange feeling for her to share this story with him. Everything in his eyes though told her he cared and wanted to listen and possibly this was the best way for him to understand her.

"I was sixteen when I had my first boyfriend," she started then. "There was this guy at highschool, one year older than me, one of the stars at school. Everyone loved this boy and I had a major crush on him. I couldn't believe it when he asked me out and even less when we actually got together. I wondered how a guy like him could even care for me. I mean, he was the rich guy from the city and I was the girl from the farm, instead of going out helping with the animals and driving tractors. Anyway he seemed to want me and so I became his girlfriend. It started really nice and I didn't mind that he was kinda pushy. We were together for a few days and he wanted to sleep with me. I was so madly in love with him that I did it and I also enjoyed it. I realised pretty soon though that this wasn't really the kind of relationship I wanted."

Lindsay stopped for a moment, glancing at Danny for the confirmation he was still willing to listen.

"What did he do?" he wanted to know, signalling her what she needed to know.

"Well, at first nothing," she continued. "It's been nice, but somehow I was confused by the way he acted around me. When we were alone, he told me he loved me and all that stuff, he bought me presents and made compliments. But when we were around others at school, he acted like I was just a random student and he didn't really know me. I wanted to know why he was doing that and he said he didn't want people to chat about us all the time. I understood that at first, but with the time I got the feeling he just didn't want to be seen with me. It hurt, and I told him that. He got kinda mad at me and asked me what I wanted. He was sleeping with me, he told me nice words, what else was I expecting from him? I said it wasn't just about that and that I wanted him to mean what he was saying. I told him that if he didn't mean that he loved me, I wasn't willing to stay together with him. I guess that was a mistake."

"Did he force you to stay together with him?" Danny asked. The expression in his eyes had changed once again and Lindsay could see the anger that was flickering in them.

She shook her head. "No, we broke up then. It was already painful enough because I've really been in love with Damien. But then when I returned to school after it, I already realised everyone was giving me strange looks. It turned out that he had been badmouthing me everywhere. He used the fact that he was like a superstar at school. Everyone of course believed him. And everyone turned their back on me. He's...just been manipulative. He told them I had pleaded to be with him and then he had just started something with me because he felt sorry for me and because he thought it was an easy way to have sex. He told them details about our relationship, about how it was like to sleep with me and how I wanted him to love me and all that stuff. It was so incredibly embarrassing. Everyone he knew was giving me hateful looks, was making fun of me and badmouthing me."

"They've been bullying you," he stated.

Lindsay nodded. "Yes, pretty much. And not just my class, it was like half of the school. Luckily I could leave this school soon after that, but I promised myself that I'd never simply jump into a relationship like that without knowing the guy means it serious." She paused. To her surprise it felt good to have her story off her chest and him being aware of it. Nothing in his expression was telling her that he was blaming her or was thinking worse of her. Instead it mirrored what she had seen when she had shared her story with Jess. He was simply angry.

"I don't think you're like that at all," she added then. "Really not. It's just that I want to be careful this time..."

"I understand what you're trying to say," Danny interrupted her gently. "If I was you, I also wouldn't jump right into the next relationship, especially not with a guy like me."

"Don't say that," Lindsay replied. "A guy like you. That sounds stupid. I want to be together with you, I just...would like to take things slow."

"Which sounds like a good idea," he agreed. He reached out and took her hands into his before he offered another soft smile. "We'll take it as slow as you want. I know what kind of relationships I've had, but it's not all about sex, okay? I want to be together with you and we'll take as much time as you need until you believe me. There's no need to rush. I'll prove to you that I mean what I'm saying. And no, I don't mind that at all."

Lindsay studied him, watching for any hint that could reveal he wasn't fully meaning what he was saying. Everything in Danny's expression though old her he was honest; he wanted to be together with her. And he was willing to give her the time she needed. Of course there was always the risk that the relationship possibly wouldn't turn out the way she wished. But she had to admit that Jess was right when she told her to just do it. After all her instinct was telling her that this decision would be worth it.

"Do you want to give us a chance?" Danny asked then.

A smile lit her face. "That is definitely what I want."

He smiled as well. "And do you want us to keep it hidden from others or would you like to make it official? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable because of those girls."

"I think I'm tired of secret relationships," she replied with a wink.

Danny's smile widened. "Then what do you say; would you like to go back in there now? You seem like the few drinks too much aren't bothering you anymore. And I guess our little walk lasted longer than planned."

With that he got up and offered his hand to her. She took it with a smile and let him help her up. Together they made their way back into the residence. Music was greeting them again; the party didn't seem to have calmed down since they had left it. Lindsay almost expected Danny to release her hand from his gentle grip. He kept on holding it though, even when they made their way back into the bar. It caused a feeling inside her which she hadn't experienced before yet. He meant what he was saying. And she knew that to this new warmth that was now filling her, she would soon be addicted soon.

Barely they had entered the bar again and already they had found Don and Jess, still in the middle of the dance floor, dancing in a close embrace. As they noticed the presence of their friends though, they got apart. Lindsay didn't miss how Jess raised an eyebrow knowingly as they approached them.

"Where have you been all the time?" Don wanted to know, grinning at them. "We were already thinking about looking for you."

"For that you seemed to be kinda busy though," Danny replied with a wink. To Lindsay, he added, "How about a drink? Something without alcohol though."

"Sounds good," Lindsay answered.

Danny's smile seemed to widen even more and before Lindsay knew what he was doing, he bent down to kiss her once again, in the middle of the dance floor. He gave her another wink before he followed Don to the bar, leaving her with a stunned looking Jess.

"Whoa, what was that?" she asked, a broad grin lighting up her face. "Did I miss something?"

Lindsay shrugged innocently. "We've just been outside for a while because I felt a bit dizzy. And then we've been talking."

Jess raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding me? You don't think I'll be satisfied with this answer." She stepped closer. "Tell me the truth. Are the two of you together?"

She tried really hard, but at this question, Lindsay couldn't help but grin herself. "Yes, we are. We decided to take it slow and not rush things. But yes, we're together."

Jess looked like she would explode every moment due to her excitement. She grabbed Lindsay's arms, her grin seeming to widen even more. "That's so incredibly fantastic!" she exclaimed before she lowered her voice again. "I always knew you'd wake up and give it a try. He's perfect for you just like you're perfect for him. But you do know that I'm expecting a detailed description of the talk and everything later? That also includes kissing, as I believe this one I just saw wasn't your first one."

"You're quite curious here," Lindsay replied with a wink.

Jess laughed. "Hey, you were the same way when Don and I got together. So you'll have to spill it all later."

"I will," she promised.

With that Lindsay turned her attention to the bar, just in the moment when Danny was looking back at her. He offered a smile and she smiled in response. Still she was amazed by how quickly things had changed between them. After having no idea what he was really thinking about her, now she was together with him. It was amazing and she was sure that her decision to start this relationship with him had been a good idea. Because her instinct was telling her that he was the one she had secretly been waiting for.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: See, like I promised, I try to update them all. ;) Thanks so much for reviewing and also for reading! Your feedback is very appreciated! Special thanks to NothatRose, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, Dine89 and Jupitor's-Cowgirl!**

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**Once again it was the early morning sun that let Lindsay wake up. Stretching in bed, she sighed relieved at the realisation that it was yet another Sunday and there was no need to get up early yet. Rolling into her back, she snuggled further into her blanket.

And then a huge smile spread across her face. For a moment an odd feeling of whether she had just imagined the night before or not popped into her mind which she firmly pushed away again. Of course she hadn't dreamt it all.

For some reason, she and Danny had found a way to not only realise what they were feeling for each other but also had admitted it and had made the step which she had never seen them made. They were together now. And still she couldn't believe it.

Everything had started so innocently with a few dances. Lindsay had no idea what had happened on this bench that had suddenly made them confess. Of course the alcohol had made it easier for her to be honest to him, but still she was surprised by how much they had confessed. Never she would have imagined that this man cared for her so much. She had wondered why he had stopped dating all those women but never she would have imagined that he had done that because of her. Because he wanted to be together with her and with no one else.

It was a knowledge that filled her with an excitement which she had never really experienced before. Damien had never given her the feeling that he actually cared for her. When she looked back now without being clouded by the feelings she had had for him, she knew he had always used her just for fun. There had never been any connection between them.

Now things were completely different. Lindsay had to admit that she was still surprised by Danny's suggestion to take things slow. Then again possibly Jess was right. And so was he. It wasn't all about sex but there were enough people who found it difficult to start a relationship that based on more. Possibly now with her he could.

To her surprise, the fact that she had told him about Damien didn't make her feel uncomfortable in any way though. It hadn't been planned indeed. Telling Jess had been helpful as her friend understood her better when once again she got paranoid at people making her part of their gossips. But telling Danny had been no option.

Until now. Lindsay knew it had been necessary as that way he got why she needed things to go a little slower than usually. Not that she didn't believe he was meaning what he was saying. She didn't believe he would abuse her feelings. Anyway she needed the proof that he meant what he was saying with showing to her that he was together with her because of his feelings for her, to because it was easier to get sex.

Still smiling brightly, Lindsay got up to open her window before she slid back under her blanket. The warm air was instantly filling her room, taking the delicious smell of the trees with it. The end of the semester was approaching, it was getting really warm already. This was the best time of the year. The first year at NYU was almost over and it was simply an amazing feeling. Only a few more exams and they could leave the stress behind for a few weeks. She and Jess had planned to do something together over those weeks. Now that both of them had boyfriends, this would be even more interesting.

The knocking at her door was it that caused her to snap out of her thoughts. Before she could say anything, Jess had already opened the door and peeked inside.

"Good morning," she greeted with a bright smile. "I thought I better knock, I didn't want to wake you up."

"You didn't knock because of my privacy?" Lindsay asked.

Jess laughed. "Well, your boyfriend didn't sleep her so I thought that wasn't the problem."

She quickly made her way over to Lindsay's bed, climbed onto it and joined her under the blanket. Lindsay couldn't help but chuckle. Still she was amazed by how she and Jess had changed into something like sisters since they had started to study at NYU. It was the kind of friendship she had always been hoping for.

"Now that you slept enough, I want to hear the whole story," Jess said then, making herself comfortable.

Lindsay gave her an amused look. "Are you sure you don't want me to get you popcorn?"

"Nah, I'm good," Jess replied with a grin. "Now spill it. How did you get from 'no, we're just friends' to 'hell yes, we're a couple' within like a few hours?"

Sighing lightly, Lindsay leant back against her pillow as well. "There isn't actually that much to tell," she started. "Like I said, I was dizzy a bit and he took me out for a walk. But as that only seemed to make it worse, we sat down on a bench. And then we just talked."

Jess rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got that from what you said yesterday, but what did you talk about?"

Lindsay couldn't help but smile at the impatience in the voice of her friend. "Well, I don't remember for sure how it started. We talked about this whole gossiping and somehow I told him I'm annoyed by it because we would never get together anyway as he's not interested."

Jess looked at her with huge eyes. "That's what you said?"

"I was tipsy," Lindsay excused herself. "Obviously he found that interesting because he wanted to know if his feelings for me would be the only reason why I thought we wouldn't get together and I said yes. Then he told me that I can screw that reason because he has feelings for me and wants to be together with me. And then he kissed me."

Jess bit her bottom lip to not shout out in joy at her friend's words. "That's so fantastic, thanks to you being tipsy the two of you finally opened up," she exclaimed. "What happened then?"

"Not that much," Lindsay replied. "I told him I'd like to take things slow though and told him about Damien."

"Really?" Jess gave her a surprised look. "You told him about this idiot?"

"Yes," she answered. "He suggested then that we could just be together and wait with taking it any further until I'm ready for that and that he's mind to wait because he wants to prove to me that he's being serious."

"Simply fantastic," Jess said, a broad, satisfied smile on her face. "I always told you he's just waiting for the right one. And don't dare to worry he has a problem with waiting for you. He's no liar, he means what he's saying."

"I know he does," Lindsay replied.

Jess nodded. "Too awesome for words, really. Now we can spend the holidays together. Just the four of us, a car and loads of fun."

"You want to do a road trip?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Jess shrugged. "No idea yet, but I think it'd be cool. But we can decide that later. For now it's just fantastic that the two of you managed to get together."

At her friend's excitement, Lindsay couldn't help but smile herself. Indeed she and Danny were together. And she had to admit that she was absolutely not regretting that.

* * *

Danny usually wasn't someone who liked to get up early when he didn't have to. This morning though he hadn't been able to sleep in. Instead he was now standing in the kitchen, waiting for the coffee machine to finish, all the time with a broad smile on his face.

Now that he and Lindsay were together, he was wondering why he hadn't realised what Don had tried to tell him all the time. Obviously there had always been a special connection between them.

But obviously she had been just as clueless as him as she had indeed believed he wasn't interested at all. He could also understand she was hesitant after the relationship she had to go through. Just thinking of this man caused him to get angry again. Sadly such things happened. He knew he himself had had very few real relationships, but he had made sure that every woman he had dated had been aware of the fact he wasn't willing to start anything serious with them. And badmouthing any of his ex-girlfriend's? He hoped for this man that he would never meet him.

For Danny there was nothing wrong with him giving her the time she needed. If he had been in her situation, he had asked for the same. Of course keeping control over himself while he was together with the woman he was longing for ever since he had met her wouldn't be easy. Their relationship was worth it though and he would refuse to push her until he had manage to prove to her that he meant what he was saying.

"Whoa, am I dreaming or is that really you?"

Don caused him to snap out of his thoughts and spin around. His friend had joined him in the kitchen, grinning at him. "Hey, slow down, I didn't mean to scare you."

Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, no worries."

"Oh, I see that," Don replied and his smirk widened even more. "The way you're grinning gives you away."

Danny only shook his head and turned his attention back to the coffee machine. He imagined his friend wouldn't give up that easily though and he was proven right.

"So you and Lindsay," Don said then. "How come you changed your mind about her not liking you?"

Danny sighed. "Do we have to talk about that now?"

"Didn't we talk when Jess and I got together?" Don asked back.

Once again Danny turned around to his friend who was watching him curiously. Don was right, they had talked about that as well and in fact there was nothing wrong with that. "We're together now, yeah," he said then.

"And she didn't sleep here tonight?" Don looked surprised.

"No, because we'll take things slow. And don't dare to make a comment about that," Danny answered. "She wants to be sure I really want to be together with her and I'll show that to her."

"Must be really love, huh?" Don asked, this time without anything teasing in his voice. "I find that great, really. Just make sure you don't change your mind and get frightened when you realise how much she means to you. Although I think your intentions to take things slow already show that you won't do that."

Danny nodded. He was more than determined to show Lindsay that this relationship would be worth her trust. No matter how long he would have to wait.

* * *

Lindsay had just finished breakfast and was wondering about what to do next when the sound of the doorbell caught her attention.

"I'll open the door," she shouted at Jess who had disappeared into her room. On her way to the door, she felt hope rising inside her that one certain person had decided to visit her. In excitement she opened the door, the sight of her visitor causing her heart to make a little jump.

"Good morning," Danny greeted her with a soft smile. "I hope I didn't wake you up."

Lindsay chuckled. She couldn't help but blush as she gazed back at Danny, seeing the intensity in his eyes. It was something she wasn't used to. "Good morning to you as well," she greeted back. "You didn't wake me up, it's almost midday."

With his smile widening lightly, Danny wrapped an arm around her waist and gently drew her closer. Her heart started to beat faster as his lips found hers in a gentle kiss.

"Looks like it wasn't just a dream," she whispered as they parted again.

Danny gave her an amused look. "You thought you only imagined last night? Then I better prove you wrong again." With that he kissed her once more, deeper this time and instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer against him.

"I didn't imagine it's possible," Danny said as they stopped. "But every kiss gets more and more wonderful." When she chuckled again, he added, "What?"

"Nothing," she replied. "It's just cute, you know. I never saw you as someone who says such things."

He winked at her. "And see, we didn't even make it into your apartment yet."

Again she blushed. "Oh...come in then."

But he shook his head. "Nah, you looked out of the window already? Why don't we go for a walk a bit? This time a real one."

"Sounds very good to me," she replied. "Just let me get dressed fully first."

"Oh, I think you look fantastic," he replied with a wink.

Laughing, Lindsay grabbed his hand and pulled Danny into her apartment before she headed over to her room to get dressed. She had wondered how it would feel like to meet again after the previous night. Relieved she realised it was even more wonderful than before. They were together now, and currently she couldn't think of anything more wonderful than that.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey, how about a new chapter? Here is an update for you! Like always thank you so much for reading and especially for reviewing! It is so nice to read what you think of my stories! Special thanks to rhymenocerous, rapidtetv, afrozenheart412 and Dine89!**

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**The ringing doorbell had Jess rushing through the apartment. Almost breathless she was as she opened the door, facing an amused grinning Don.

"Whoa, someone's in a hurry here," he teased, greeting his girlfriend with a kiss before he walked into her apartment. "I know you can't get enough of me but you don't have to race to let me in. I won't go anywhere."

Jess rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Funny, Flack. You want a coffee?"

"Nah, thanks," Don replied, shaking his head. "Danny made so much coffee this morning, I think we'll have enough for the next years."

Jess chuckled. "So let me guess, he's just as excited as Lindsay. It was about damn time those two got together finally. I wonder why it took them so long to get that they want each other."

"Well, not everyone can be as fast as us. Messer was in denial that he could actually fall in love and Monroe obviously had her reasons as well," Don said, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend from behind, snuggling against her bed while she continued preparing breakfast. "But it doesn't really matter anymore because they're together now and I guess the way they're starting this relationship promises it'll work. I mean, Danny's willing to wait until she's ready. That means a lot."

"I never had a doubt he could fall in love. He just needed to find the right one," Jess said. "Now if they're as happy as you and me, everything's perfect."

"Aw, that was lovely of you." Don placed a kiss into her hair, drawing her a bit closer against his chest.

"Isn't it the truth?" Jess asked with a smirk. Don had a lot in common with his best friend; both men pretended that they weren't romantic and that they weren't too much into showing feelings. Yet since they were together, Don had surprised her with a lot of romantic and lovely surprises and he never got tired of telling her how much he was in love with her.

"It is very true." He kissed her again. "Now that we're two couples we also can spend the summer break together. I mean, I'm not planning on staying in the city for all those weeks."

Jess nodded. "I was actually thinking about that already. Lindsay and I think it'd be great to go on a road trip. To Montana maybe, we could visit her family there."

Even though she wasn't looking at him, Jess knew Don was grinning. "So you mean we rent a car and drive to Montana, just the four of us and no one getting on our nerves, without any stupid tourists around?" he asked. "Sounds like the perfect vacation to me."

Jess grinned as well. "That's what I thought. Now stop holding me trapped and help me so we can have breakfast."

"Yes, Ma'am," Don replied, laughing at the playful glare he got in response.

* * *

"Isn't Central Park just the perfect place for a walk?" Danny asked as he and Lindsay were walking along one of the paths.

"Yes, a green place like that in the city is a nice escape," she agreed. She couldn't help but smile at the way he had his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close against his side. It was a whole new experience; not only had she almost forgotten how it felt like to be in a relationship, also her boyfriend seemed to be really interested in her. In fact she had promised herself to never fall in love with a man like him again; he was well known at campus, was a successful baseball player and had had his fair share of women. His personality though wasn't anything like Damien's and every instinct inside her told her that giving them a chance was the best decision she could make.

"I bet you're missing the country out here," he said. "I mean, skyscrapers, all the people around, the noises and the smells...don't you miss how different it was back home in Montana?"

Lindsay thought about the question for a moment. In fact during the time she was living in New York City now, she had never found time to wonder whether she felt comfortable at this place or not. Of course there had been moments at the beginning where she had felt homesick, but very quickly she had gotten over it because Jess had made sure she didn't find enough time to think. Then all the stress at NYU had started and soon any homesickness had been forgotten.

"I don't really think I'm missing it," she answered then. "It's true, it took me a while to get used to how different everything is here. I mean, back home you don't really find any tall buildings. I was living on a farm, I was even working there during my free time. I was used to being woken up by birds early in the morning, by the smell of fresh air coming through my open window and by the rushing of the tree in front of it. When I didn't have to go to school, I got up, got dressed and downstairs I was greeted with a giant breakfast. Then I usually helped my father at the barn until we had lunch together and in the afternoon I often saddled my horse or took my bike and headed out into the country. I could spend hours with riding along the fields or through the forest. Sometimes I went to one of the lakes for swimming or went fishing with my brothers. Or they took me to town and we sat at a bar, watching football or baseball and had some drinks and danced to country music."

Her voice trailed off as her thoughts drifted back to living in Montana. There were so many things she remembered, things she had taken for granted and had been used to so much. Now that she was facing a whole new world, she started to realise how much those activities had meant to her.

So lost in her thoughts she didn't notice how Danny led her away from the path and over to a near tree from where they had a beautiful view across one of the lakes. Almost instinctively Lindsay sat down with him and only when he pulled her close against him again, she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said, her cheeks blushing bright red as she gazed up at her smiling boyfriend. "I was just thinking."

"There's really no need to apologize," Danny answered with a warm smile. "You really liked it back home obviously."

Lindsay nodded. "Yes, a lot of things have been nice. But there were also quite a few things that didn't make me happy. When I decided to come to New York, I also hoped that this would be a chance for me. There were quite a few things I wanted to leave behind and I thought a fresh start somewhere completely different would be good for me."

"Did it work?" Danny wanted to know.

Once again Lindsay looked up at him, a smile on her face as well now. "What do you think?" she asked. "I'm studying something I really like. I have my own apartment and share it with a woman who became something like my sister. I have a boyfriend who's not just using me for fun. I'm living in one of the biggest cities of the world. It's an adventure. Of course there are things I miss, but I rather like to see it like that; I have two homes now. I can go on vacation to Montana. But right now I'm living here with my partner and my friends and I'm loving it."

She saw the relieved look he gave her. "That's good to know," he said.

Lindsay raised an eyebrow at him, her smile widening a bit. "Did you think I don't like your beloved city?"

Danny laughed. "Nah, I didn't think that. I just wanted to make sure you feel comfortable here."

Lindsay nodded. "I do. But I'm still right I guess? New York means a lot to you."

"Of course it does," Danny answered honestly. "I grew up here. I'm used to this place. It's a giant city of course but I couldn't think of a cosier place. If that makes any sense."

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "Currently I'm feeling the same way. I think it's great to have a place where you feel home like that."

"Yeah, even though not everything is perfect here either," Danny added. And for just a moment Lindsay noticed something in his expression which she hadn't seen before. His features had gotten serious and somewhere deep inside those sparkling blue eyes she saw a hint of pain which he instantly pushed away the second he noticed she was watching him. He gave her a quick smile. "Well, but it's lovely here."

"It really is," she agreed. "And you know...if you ever feel like not always praising the city but also sharing the not so nice facts with me, you can always do that."

Danny nodded, giving her a true smile this time. "I know. Same counts for you." He sighed lightly. "Now that we clarified that, why not focus on the good things again?"

Lindsay had understood the hint. All of them had their little secrets. He knew hers already. She didn't know his yet but if someone knew that it took a bit to talk about facts that made one feel uncomfortable, it was her and so she decided to drop it.

"Jess and I were wondering if we couldn't spend the summer break together," she said then. "And we wondered if you and Don would like to join us."

Relieved she saw how his smile changed into a smirk and the familiar sparks in his eyes returned. "You don't seriously think I'd spend the summer break without my girlfriend? Of course we'll do something together. Any ideas already?"

Lindsay nodded. "Yes, but you can always say no when you don't like it."

Danny laughed. "Don't you think you could tell me about your plans before you try to tell me I don't have to like them?"

Once again she blushed. "Okay. So Jess and I thought maybe we could just rent a car and go on a road trip. She suggested we could drive all the way up to Montana and visit my family. And on our way we could stay at various nice cities." She blushed even more. "Possibly not what you imagined."

Her words caused him to laugh even harder. "What do you think I have in mind when I go on vacation? I think that's a fantastic idea. We can get to see more of the country and we'll be able to see where you grew up. Do you think there's any chance for us to stay at your parents' farm?"

Lindsay looked at him with huge eyes. "You want to stay at the farm?"

"Is that such a surprise?" he asked back with a wink.

"Um...no idea." Lindsay cursed herself for blushing even more. "So you'd like to do that?"

"Definitely. It'd be a wonderful vacation," Danny told her. And with that he pulled her closer. Before she got the chance to react, she found herself straddling his lap, facing her smirking boyfriend.

"Danny," she said in a warning voice, hardly able to prevent herself from smirking herself though. Sitting on top of him, so close, was definitely enjoyable. "We're in the middle of a very crowded Central Park."

His smirk widened as his hands came to rest on her hips. "So what?" he asked back. "Did you see how many couples are out here, kissing? And that's all I'm doing." He brought his hands to her face, cupping it gently to pull her down to him. "Kissing you."

And with that his lips found hers, in a gentle yet firm kiss. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in even more as his hands weaved into her hair, keeping her in place. Kissing him was a sensation that still amazed her. It sent jolts of exciting feelings through her, spreading into every inch of her body. She could clearly feel the longing in his kiss, but nothing else in his actions told her he was trying to push her into any direction; he kept his promise of not rushing things with her.

Endlessly long minutes passed until they parted again. She found him smirking up at her, the expression in his eyes making her shiver. Knowing he wanted to be with her so much was a feeling she still needed to get used to but which she enjoyed more than anything.

"See, totally harmless," Danny said, letting his hands slide down her sides again until they came to rest on her hips again. "I told you I'm waiting until you're ready. I won't try to push you or seduce you or do anything else like that."

Lindsay couldn't do anything against the fact that her cheeks flushed once again. "I'm a quite complicated girlfriend, huh?"

He shook his head. "Not in my eyes. I actually think it's good to start a relationship like that. It gives us the chance to learn more about each other and to make it stronger. It's not all about sex. And we can be sure that we won't wake up one day and realise that even sex isn't enough anymore to keep us together. Instead we'll have so much more that means something to us. Even if you want me to wait for months, I don't mind because right now all I want is to be together with you."

The warmth of his words was it that once again proved it to her; her decision had been right. "Nice that we agree on that," she told him, giving him another quick kiss.

And with that Lindsay let Danny pull her against him, wrapping his arms around her in a loving embrace. She snuggled into his chest, enjoying the way he held her close. Sometimes she was thinking about her old home. But thanks to moving to the city she had gotten the chance to meet people who cared for her, who truly wanted to be together with her. One fact was clear to her; this was just as much her home as the place where she had grown up.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yay, thank you so very much again for reading and reviewing! You know, your support means a lot to me, and it's very inspiring as well! Special thanks to xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, rapidtetv, rhymenocerous, dannymesserforever11, afrozenheart412, Dine89, SMacked Hard and ZoeyBug!**

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* * *

**"Dammit!" With a shout, Jess tossed the book she was holding against the near wall, glaring at the place it had hit the wall with a thud and then dropped to the floor. Lindsay glanced at the book for a moment before she turned to her friend with raised eyebrows.

"Okay..." she said. "You want mine or will you throw it against the other wall?"

Jess only groaned in response. "I hate this! I could really think of something more exciting than searching through super thick books with billions of paragraphs to find this one special one this stupid question is asking for! I will so fail this damn exam." With another groan, she collapsed backwards onto her pillow.

"You won't fail it. It's going to be a tough one, but you'll pass it," Lindsay answered, getting up from her bed to get Jess's book back.

"And can you be so sure about that?" her friend wanted to know.

"Because it always is the same," Lindsay told her, climbing back onto the bed. "You always freak out when exams are up and then you pass them without problems."

"Not this time," Jess said, fully convinced. "This is way too tough. How am I supposed to do that?"

"Maybe show me what you have so far? We can answer the questions together," Lindsay suggested. "When we get all those questions answered, it might make the exam a lot easier."

Jess sighed. "Yeah, I know. Man, this class is driving me insane."

"You're just nervous, that's all," Lindsay told her.

Jess looked up at her, smirking amused. "And you aren't?"

"Of course I am, but I guess as your friend it's my job to not stress you even more," she answered with a wink.

Jess chuckled. "You're the best friend ever, you know that? Alright, then lets see if we're better together. And I swear, after that I'll go and see Don. I need some distraction." It was her turn to wink at Lindsay. "And you could call her boyfriend over also. I mean, the two of you are inseparable lately."

Lindsay blushed bright red instantly at her friend's words. "Is it that bad?"

"No!" Jess laughed at the expression of her friend. "I think you're the furthest from being one of those friends who forget about her other friends the second she falls in love, so no worries. It's cute to see you so close though, proves my theory right that you're perfect for each other."

Lindsay smiled relieved, couldn't help but blush even more though. She and Danny were together for a few days now and still it was a feeling she had to get used to. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't been afraid of starting a relationship again. The disaster that had been her relationship with Damien had taught her better; simply jumping into a relationship could turn out to be wrong. Still she wanted to hide in pain and embarrassment when she thought about those last few years at highschool where everyone had turned their back on her. Apart from four people. But those also hadn't stayed around long enough to be her friends until her graduation.

She tensed as her thoughts reached this memory that was so much more painful than what Damien had done to her. Those few years had done a lot of damage to her; the breakup had weakened her, but what had happened to those few people who had stayed by her side had completely kicked her off the road. It had only been as she had moved to New York when she had been able to leave it behind enough to start fresh. So far not even Jess knew about this memory from her past and so far she was nowhere near being ready to reveal it to her or anyone else.

The relationship with Danny now was fully new to Lindsay. He had promised to take things slow with her, even though she knew this wasn't what he usually did when it came to relationships. Obviously she meant a lot to him though and he wasn't getting tired of showing that to her. It was an experience she was grateful for.

"Alright, lets answer those questions," she said, forcing herself to snap out of her thoughts to prevent herself from not only thinking about Damien but slip into even more dangerous memories. She didn't miss the suspicious look Jess was giving her but she tried to ignore it. Now wasn't the time for such a conversation and with a nod, her friend signalled her she had understood. She knew though that somewhere along the line, the topic would come up, no matter how much she tried to suppress it.

* * *

Like Jess had announced, she had left after studying for around an hour to meet Don. Her friend had watched Lindsay closely and she knew she hadn't missed how briefly her thoughts had wandered back to memories that were still so painful that she tried to keep them out of her mind. She knew Jess would ask questions somewhere along the line. So would Danny if this happened again. But currently, even if she wanted to, she couldn't speak about it.

Still she was sitting on her bed, books and paper spread all over it. Indeed this exam would be a tough one; in their second semester the basic stuff was slowly getting more complicated. Anyway with some concentration it was possible to handle and she believed that if the four of them continued working together, they wouldn't have a problem to pass this exam that seemed to be such a huge hindrance to pretty much every student at campus.

It was the knock at her bedroom door that caused her to snap out of her thoughts with a gasp and she stared at the door, just to find Danny standing there, watching her with in amusement raised eyebrows.

"You do know you're in New York here, right?" he asked her, leaning against the door frame. "It's not a good idea to leave your door unlocked."

"We must have forgotten it," she answered, pressing a hand against her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart down. "Man, you scared me." She chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," he replied. Making his way over to her, he scanned the bed, his eyebrows raising even more. "Wow, someone's busy here."

Lindsay nodded with a sigh. "I'm studying since I woke up in the morning. That was at 8 am."

"It's 3 now." Danny shook his head. "Did you even eat anything already?"

Lindsay felt her cheeks redden again. "No?"

"Okay, enough." Grabbing her books, Danny rested them on her desk, the papers followed before he grabbed her hand and simply pulled her off the bed. "Studying is important, I agree with you on that. I even have to admit I studied a lot myself today. But seven hours straight without any food or anything? Jess said you calmed her down but I think now you're working yourself up."

"It's important I pass this one, okay?" Lindsay replied, trying to free herself of his grip.

"But you won't if you collapse because of exhaustion," Danny told her. "You have to find the right balance. Whenever we're discussing those questions during class, you're one of the first ones who finds the right answers. Yet you're so worried you won't pass although you and I both know that you will. You have to slow down a bit. No one's saying you're supposed to be a party girl. In fact I'm glad you're not. But you're pressuring yourself way too much."

Lindsay glanced up at Danny, not knowing what to say. Studying was something she was used to; there had been times in the past when she had gotten up, had spent the entire day in her room or at the library bent over books. Back then though there had also been nothing else she could have done while being fully isolated from people around her. Because of Damien. Because of what had happened to her and her friends just half a year after the breakup. Studying had been all she had had. The only reason to actually get up in the morning.

Once again Lindsay found herself slipping into memories that suddenly seemed to feel the urge to return with so much force she couldn't fully push them aside easily. It was the first time since she had moved to New York and she was surprised by the fact they suddenly were so present in her mind again. Over those two semesters she had barely ever thought back. Now it was the second time in a single day that she was overwhelmed by painful memories.

"What's wrong?"

Danny's question once again caused her to snap back to the present. His expression had changed, his eyes were revealing concern and once again she blushed as she realised that her own expression must have given her away again.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she answered quickly, trying to give him a smile. "I'm just used to it, you know? But I guess you're right. There's more to life than hiding behind books."

She had hoped that this answer would satisfy him. The look in his eyes stayed though. "You know you can talk to me, right?" he asked then.

Lindsay nodded. "I know."

Danny remained watching her for a moment, before he nodded as well. "Okay. Just keep that in mind for the case you want to talk." He sighed lightly. "So, I guess first we have to get you some food."

But before he managed to turn around, Lindsay had grabbed his arm, without actually noticing it. Danny turned back around to her, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, insecurity taking over as she held on to his arm, preventing him from leaving the room. "I know I can talk to you and...there is something I want to talk about indeed, but I can't do it right now. It's not so easy but it doesn't mean I don't want to or..."

"Hey, stop." With a warm smile, Danny interrupted her softly, indeed making her stop. "I got that, okay? Stop worrying. I'm not this ass, alright?" He paused. "See, Lindsay, there are a few things about me you don't know either. Only Don does, and only because we know each other since childhood. It takes time to speak about a few things. I won't run away because you're not ready to open up to me completely yet and I hope you won't do the same with me. I think the both of us need a bit time. What's really important is the knowledge that the other one will be there if we decide we're ready. So stop worrying and just trust in me, alright?"

Lindsay expected herself to be surprised by Danny's words, but she wasn't. It was then that she realised how much she really trusted in him already. The fact that she actually had given this relationship a chance was one proof for that. For a second she had worried when she had told him she wasn't ready for talking yet. His reaction though had calmed her again. He wasn't Damien indeed. He wouldn't drop her. What she hadn't expected had been his own admission though. She had felt that there was something but that this something obviously was that big she hadn't imagined.

"I guess we just agree that we know the other one is there when we need to talk and that we shouldn't fear one of us will simply run away when things get personal," she replied.

Danny nodded again. "Yeah." He took another deep breath, this time smiling at her. "So can we leave this apartment now and go out for lunch? Because I really don't think lack of food is healthy."

Lindsay chuckled. "And let me guess...the rest of the day no studying anymore?"

Danny raised his eyebrows at her. "Are you kidding me? After that many hours? No, I have a lot of other nice ideas in mind."

"Oh yes? May I know?" she wanted to know.

In response she got a grin. "No, you'll have to wait and see. I think after being so busy you deserve to relax a bit and I know a few nice things we can do. Of course if you rather want to stay here instead..."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, alright. Lets get some food. I think I need some oxygen anyway."

"Very good decision," he replied with a wink.

With that Danny took her hand and pulled Lindsay out of her room. Had there been a tension rising inside her earlier, now it had eased a lot again. The fact aside that for some reason certain memories were coming back had already worried her. But being not able to let the man who meant so much to her in yet had only made it worse. She didn't want him to believe she didn't trust in him. Obviously he seemed to understand her though, from own experience how he had told her. With the time, so she believed, they would be able to make this step and talk things out. Until then both of them would be patient though, very well knowing that the other one was aware of the fact they would always get the needed support then.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey! How about a new update? ;) Thanks so much to all of your for supporting this fic and for reading and review! Please keep on doing that! And sorry again for the late review replies, next time I'll be faster. Special thanks to NothatRose, SMacked Hard, dannymesserforever11, ZoeyBug, Jupitor's-Cowgirl, rhymenocerous, Dine89, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv and xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx!**

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* * *

**"I swear, if I have to move one more inch, I'll kill someone." Jess groaned and let herself fall into the grass next to the playing field they had been trained on while most of the other cheerleaders headed back into the locker room. "Why did I even join that damn cheerleader team? Can I blame you for that?"

Lindsay, who had sat down next to her friend, grinned. "Unfortunately not, because actually it's me who should blame you." She groaned as well, wiped a few of her curls out of her face and redid her ponytail. "I think there's no body part that's not hurting right now."

Jess nodded but she had to grin herself. "It also has its advantages. We can use it as an excuse to get a massage from our guys. Then again I doubt we'd need an excuse to get one."

Lindsay chuckled. She saw how Jess's grin widened and as she followed her best friend's gaze, she saw the reason for that. The baseball team was about to enter the field. All of the sudden the edge of it was crowded again; by cheerleaders and various other students. It was no surprise most of them were female.

Lindsay could feel her heart beating faster at the sight. It was an instinct which she still couldn't get rid of. Whenever she was around a large group of people around her age, she felt a strong insecurity. Memories instantly returned. She could see them in front of her; laughing, whispering. All those mean words that found their way right into her heart. Damien had been successful. She hadn't been only ignored. She had been bullied by everyone who had liked him, and that had been almost everyone at school.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around to focus her attention on the men on the field. It didn't take her long to spot Danny and immediately she smiled. He was a handsome man, but while working out he was an even more delicious sight. No surprise so many women were attracted to him. She was glad that during the last couple of weeks and months, he had stayed away from them all because of her, but still he had had a lot of women a while back. She tried to push those thoughts away; it didn't matter anymore, even if there might be some of his former one-night-stands among those girls behind her.

"Did you know?" one of the women behind her suddenly asked. She seemed to not sit far away as Lindsay could understand every word she was saying. "Another one of them is taken now. It's really a shame."

"Oh, who are you telling that?" another girl replied. Obviously she was the one the question had been addressed to. "First Don and now Danny." She sighed. "The guy could have every woman and who does he pick? This random girl from Montana."

Hearing those words, Lindsay tensed instinctively. She didn't know the owners of the voices behind her. She had no idea why they knew her. But she knew the way they were talking about her. A strong lump was rising in her throat. The tone in those voices; cold, disgusted. She could clearly picture the looks on the faces of those women. She had hoped that in New York, as a student, she wouldn't have to face such gossiping. Now it was getting started again.

"Seriously?" the other woman asked, full of disbelief.

"Yeah," her friend answered. "Obviously he's together with this Montana girl now. I don't get why. I mean, a guy like him could have every woman, how come he has such a bad taste? Did you ever see her? Plain country girl. I'm surprised she's not wearing a cowboy hat."

The other one laughed. "I bet she owns one. Possibly she's wearing it in bed, but I guess that won't make her more interesting either."

Although she tried to control herself, Lindsay couldn't help but shiver. Those women were all around the age of 20. Never she would have believed to hear such mean comments from adults. Sighing softly, she glanced at Jess. She realised her friend was watching her closely, with sparks in her eyes. Angry sparks. She hadn't missed a single word of what the women behind them had spoken.

Jess gazed over her shoulder briefly before she groaned again and stretched her arms. "God, my poor back. You know what I'd love to have now? A long, hot bath. You know, kinda like the one you surprised your boy with yesterday."

Lindsay gave her friend a confused look. But Jess only grinned at her and spoke even louder. "I know the two of you can't keep your hands off each other, but next time you better lock the door. As much as I love you, my friend, but I don't need to walk in on the two of you again." She chuckled. "I'm happy for you though. I know Danny often complained about those women he was together with. You know, those narrow minded, shallow and boring girls who believe they're the best because they have boobs and a big grin. Don also noticed already how much happier he's now that the two of you are together. Not that it's surprising me of course. I mean, you're smart, you're a lot more beautiful than those overly arrogant girls and from what I heard he's never had a better one than you."

Lindsay had to bite her lips to not break out into laughter. If someone knew how sweet revenge was, it was Jess. This little speech had been loud enough that everyone around and behind them could have heard it. Although she had been embarrassed at first, now Lindsay offered her friend a grateful smile. The women behind them had shut up.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Jess winked at her. "You're more than welcome. Don't listen to them. I know it's hard for you after all that's happened because of this idiot, but don't let anyone hurt you like that again. You're together with a man who everyone here at campus would love to have. You got him though. Of course they're jealous. But who cares?" With that she rested an arm around Lindsay's shoulders. "You and I got the hottest men at NYU. Plus the best friends ever. Who cares for those girls? Let them be jealous. As long as you have me and Don and your boy, you shouldn't let them annoy you."

Jess's idea to make the gossiping women shut up had already amazed her. But listening to the warm words of her best friend made Lindsay smile brightly. Once again she looked over to Danny who just then glanced into her direction as well. He offered her a smile and immediately she felt the familiar warmth deep inside her return. It didn't matter what others said. Here in New York she wasn't alone anymore. She had people who cared for her and those were the ones who mattered.

* * *

"God, I thought we'd never have a break," Don groaned, letting himself drop into the grass, grateful for the break their coach had finally allowed them to have. He watched Danny sitting down next to him. His best friend looked as exhausted as him but Don could feel there was more behind his dark expression. "What's wrong, Dan? Didn't you sleep well last night? Maybe you should ask your girl to come over next time."

"I'm fine, don't worry," Danny answered, taking a large sip from his water bottle. This answer gave Don all the information he needed. He raised his eyebrows.

"Okay...no laughing about my stupid comment, no eyes rolling...something has to be wrong," he stated. "What is it?"

Danny sighed. "I told you I'm fine."

Don groaned, shaking his head at his friend. "I don't get you, Danny. I thought we had this topic already. I'm your best friend for a reason. I know you for ages already. I know everything about you. So stop playing the role of the untouchable stranger and talk to me. What's wrong?"

Danny gazed up at him and Don knew his little speech had been successful. He could see the pain in his best friend's eyes and he had a suspicion what his bad mood was about.

"It's just the day again," he sighed.

Don tried to remember the date of the day and he cursed himself for forgetting about it. "Sorry, I should've known."

Danny shook his head. "No, it's fine. Probably I should just stop thinking about it as well. It's just...it's not so easy. The bad memories always stay in your mind, no matter how much you want to get rid of them."

Don nodded in agreement. "I know we had that before but don't you think maybe you should finally visit them?"

He saw how his friend narrowed his eyes as he stared at a random spot in the grass in front of him. "Why should I visit them? I never did during all those years, why now?"

"Because it's still bugging you so much?" Don suggested. "I can imagine it'd be hard but maybe it'd help you. Maybe it'd be good for you to talk to them."

"And what am I supposed to tell them?" Danny wanted to know. "About all those shitty years? About what I'm doing now and that I made it happen all on my own because there was no one I could expect help from?"

"For example," Don suggested. "If it makes you feel better."

Danny sighed. "Blaming them won't make it better." He shook his head. "I don't want to blame them. I know it's their fault. If they hadn't done all that shit, everything would have been completely different. Nobody can turn back time though. Blaming them doesn't help. Telling them what I'm doing now won't help either."

"But maybe they'd be proud of you," Don said.

Danny laughed sarcastically. "Proud of me? Are you kidding me? They won't be proud of me. Maybe they don't even remember me. I've never visited them. Not even once."

Don sighed as well. "Danny, how are they supposed to forget about their own son? They're your parents."

"So what? They didn't act like that, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation now." Danny shook his head.

"Maybe they know now which big mistakes they made," Don replied, knowing though that whatever he would say, his friend wouldn't believe him.

"Nice try," Danny answered. "I won't visit them. At least not in the near future."

Don nodded. "It's your decision of course. Did you tell Lindsay about them already?" When he saw how Danny tensed, he added, "I guess that's a 'no'. Why not?"

"Why not?" Danny glared at his best friend. "What do you think, Don? We just got together. She's learning to trust in me after being in a relationship with this moron. I don't want to bother her with tales of my family."

"And you think that not mentioning them is better?" Don wanted to know. "You expect from her that she trusts in you. She does obviously, otherwise she'd not have told you about this guy. Why can't you trust in her either?"

"What if she changes her mind about me then?" Danny asked back. "What if she thinks I'm just like them?"

"As if she would," Don answered. "Did you ever look at her when she's around you? Did you see how happy she is? The two of you are perfect for each other. She likes the man you are. What your parents did isn't your fault. She would never believe you're like them. Never. I mean, look at yourself. You care so much for other people. You're studying criminal law. You're a good person, Danny. Everyone knows that. She won't change her mind about you."

"I wish I could believe that." Danny ran a hand through his short hair. "There are always prejudices. I know that. It happened way too often. I'm tired of people judging me because of what happened in the past."

"But it's not like you did anything wrong," Don said. "You didn't and if someone would never push you away because of your past or any prejudices, it's her. She cares for who you are, not for whoever people believe you are. Talk to her. I mean, look at me. I know everything and I'm your best friend. Why should she react differently?"

Danny shrugged. "Maybe it's too serious already. I'm afraid to ruin it."

"If it's that serious already, then there is no way for you to ruin it. Except when you lie," Don replied. To his relief he saw how a little smile lit Danny's face.

"You're quite stubborn, you know?" he asked.

Don grinned. "I have to be stubborn with you as my best friend."

Once again Danny sighed. "Alright. I'll talk to her about it, but not now. I won't visit them though."

"I guess that's a good start," Don replied.

Danny nodded. His eyes wandered over to the edge of the field. Lindsay was still sitting there, smiling at him brightly. She wouldn't change her mind; he knew that. She was different to all those other people he had met over the years. He wanted that she trusted in him and he would trust in her as well.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Aww, wow, thank you so much for all the wonderful, lovely and incredibly encouraging reviews! I should kick myself for needing so long to update! But here is finally a new chapter for you! Special thanks to afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, dannymesserforever11, ZoeyBug, SMacked Hard, Dine89, saturn567, NothatRose and Jupitor's-Cowgirl!**

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**When the coach let the team leave the field, Danny couldn't get fast enough to Lindsay who was still sitting at the edge of it, waiting for him. She had watched him closely and although he was definitely no insecure man, he suddenly felt the urge to impress her. Probably he had never worked harder on the field, which had earned him a surprised look from his coach and a bright smile from his girlfriend.

He didn't miss the look Don gave him as they headed over to their girlfriends. Danny nodded lightly. He knew his friend was right. He wanted Lindsay to trust in him, but if he expected that from her, he had to trust in her as well. It was a serious relationship and probably he would feel better when she knew about this painful yet important part of his past.

Even though his mood still wasn't the best, Danny couldn't help but smile softly when he reached Lindsay. She smiled back at him, but the closer he got the more he noticed the expression in her eyes. He looked up at the women behind her, not missing the way they seemed to undress him with their eyes. Glancing back at Lindsay, he understood what her expression was about.

"Everything alright?" he asked, taking the towel from her and rubbed his hair with it.

"Sure. Why?" she asked. When he raised his eyebrows at her, she added, "I'm fine, really. I know I shouldn't care. They just like to gossip."

"What did they say?" Danny wanted to know. He wouldn't mind telling those women his opinion. But she shook her head.

"It's fine. Jess took care of that already," she answered with a wink. "You don't look that happy either though. Did something happen? I saw you and Don talk and you looked kinda...sad or something." She paused. "You know...if there is something, you can come to me."

He felt the lump in his throat return. Actually he had thought he had seemed to be happy and fine to her. By now she knew him so well though that he couldn't hide anything in front of her. She could read his mind, but he had the same gift when it came to her. This was his chance; the best way to start the conversation and let her know why exactly this day was bothering him so much.

"Would you mind if we talked about that later?" he asked her. "There...is something I'd like to talk about, but not here and now." He winced as he saw her expression change.

"Okay, sure," she said hesitantly.

"It's not about us," he added quickly. Her look told him his suspicion had been right. "It's something else but I'd like to talk about that in privacy. Not here in front of those gossip girls."

Lindsay nodded relieved. "Maybe I could come over and visit you later?"

"Sounds good to me," Danny answered. His heart was racing at the prospect of telling her the story of his family, but her warm smile soon calmed him down again. Once more he glanced at the women who were clearly talking about them now. With a smirk he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. "I'll see you later." And with those words he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. He felt her tense for a moment before she responded to the kiss. When he pulled back again, he found her smiling shyly.

"I guess that should answer all the open questions," he said with a wink. "See you later."

And when Danny headed back to the locker rooms, he felt relieved. If someone understood his insecurity, it was Lindsay. She wouldn't judge him; he knew that.

* * *

She was standing in front of his entrance door, nervousness rising. Even though they were together and trusted in each other, she was still nervous sometimes. He wanted to talk to her about something and even though it wasn't about them, she was worried a bit. Something seemed to bother him.

"Hey," she greeted him when he opened the door, offering him a smile which she hoped would hide her insecurity. "I hope I'm not too early." Relieved she found him smiling as well.

"You can never be too early." He gave her a brief, gentle kiss, but it was long enough for her to sense all his emotions. He wanted to talk to her but something was scaring him also. She was still worried but obviously he had to trust in her if he wanted to share whatever he had in mind with her.

Together they entered the apartment. Lindsay could feel the tension radiating from him. She could sense his insecurity stronger than ever.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked, stopping in the middle of his living room.

She sighed softly. "If you don't want to talk now, we don't have to do that."

Danny looked back at her for a moment, seemingly debating whether to change his mind or not. Then he walked over to the couch and sat down with a sigh. Lindsay hesitated for a moment before she followed him and joined him. She had noticed that his eyes had darkened.

"You don't have to listen to me if you don't want to," he said then, looking at her for confirmation that she was there because she wanted to hear his story, not because she believed she had to.

"You listened to me when I talked about Damien," she answered, reaching out to rest one of her hands on top of his. "Something is bothering you and if talking about it helps you, I'd be happy to listen. You've seemed to feel uncomfortable all day now."

Danny gave her a weak smile. "Well, see, Don said I should talk to you about it and I guess he's right. There's something no one else but him knows about but I think now that we're together and you told me about the guy and all...I think I should tell you about it as well." He sighed and gave her a nervous smile. "See, I can listen to you really well, but when it comes to talking, I fail."

"I know what you mean," Lindsay told him. If someone understood how difficult it was to open up, it was her. "Just give it a try. I felt a lot better after I've told you about Damien."

Danny nodded slowly. It took him another couple of minutes until he released another sigh and started to talk. "Today is a day...well, many years ago something happened." He hesitated. "I never told you about my parents I guess?"

"Not yet, no," Lindsay answered. During those months she had shared a couple of stories about her parents and where she had grown up with him. But whenever she had carefully hinted into the direction of his family, he had changed the topic.

"Well, only Don really knows about them," he answered. Once again Danny stopped. Lindsay could feel how uncomfortable he was, almost scared even. She felt the wish to tell him that he didn't have to talk to her if he didn't feel well with doing it, but she could feel he needed to get his story off his mind and so she stayed quiet.

"My parents are criminals," he blurted out then as if to prevent her from reacting. "They've been involved with a couple of drug dealers and they got arrested when I was six. I've been sent to foster parents ever since then but I never stayed long. Either I was too exhausting for them or they feared I would turn out to be like my parents. So I was pushed from one family to the other until I was old enough to have my own place." He sighed. "This day today...well, it was when they got arrested."

He stopped at looked at her, embarrassed and scared. Danny was waiting for her to react and all Lindsay could do was staring at him. She had felt he had been hiding something and that his family was involved. Such a story she hadn't expected though.

"I'm sorry," he said then. "I shouldn't have..."

"No!" she interrupted him, knowing what he would say next. "Don't say you shouldn't have told me. It's just...I'm shocked." She shook her head, biting her bottom lip to hold back the tears that were about to rise in her eyes. "I...can't believe you never really had a family since your parents got arrested. You got passed around since you were six. I...don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, but I don't think you want to hear that."

He gave her a shy smile; something she had never seen like that before. "I just want to know if you changed your opinion about me."

"My opinion about you?" Lindsay stared at him in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"Well, it seems like people easily believe that when your parents were bad, you have to be as well," Danny explained. Never before she had seen a person who had been more insecure than him at this moment. "Most of those families didn't want me because they believed I'd be a criminal as well. I...didn't really want to tell anyone but Don said I should be honest to you and that it'd not change your mind. I just want to know if he's right."

Once again Lindsay stared at her boyfriend and her heart broke at his words. She would have understood if he had found it hard to bring all the memories back. That he was afraid she would push him away because she thought he was a criminal was shocking her.

"Danny, nothing you could ever tell me would make me change my mind about you," she told him. "I can't even believe those families used that as an excuse! It's not your fault that your parents were involved with those drug dealers and all. You were a six years old child! And that's nothing you get from your parents. I mean, look at yourself, you're even about to work for the right side of the law; you're doing the opposite of what your parents did. And even if you did some mistakes in the past, why should something like that make me change my mind? I care for the man I see here, who you are when we're together. Nothing that happened was your fault."

"Are you sure you're feeling like that?" he asked her. She could hear the insecurity in his voice but even more Lindsay saw it in his eyes. He was cautious. She could only imagine what being pushed from one family to the other without ever having a real home could do to a person. Every child would start to wonder if they were the problem and those people had even confirmed it to him. She couldn't believe how people, who were supposed to do a professional job with raising other people's children, could have such prejudices.

"I am sure, alright?" she said. "Nothing you could ever say or do will change my mind about you. I...trust in you, okay? I trust in you more than in anyone else apart from my parents." She paused. There was an easy way for her to prove that, but it was a story she hadn't planned on telling him yet. He had been so honest and open though and she knew it would prove her trust in him. It was hard, it was painful, but the feelings she had for him were encouraging her. He needed to see that she was being honest and proving it to him was worth it, even if it was hard.

"There's something else about me that you don't know," she started then, deciding to use the courage of the moment. "No one here knows about it, not even Jess."

"You don't have to change that, I believe you," Danny told her but she shook her head.

"I don't want there to be any secrets between us any longer," she answered. She sighed. "Not long after the break up with Damien, something else happened. I was lucky that not everyone at school had turned their back on me. I still had three friends who were there for me." She paused, feeling how she was starting to shiver. She gave him a nervous smile. "I fear it's no good idea to talk about it now because even after all the years, it hurts so badly. I'm not ready to tell you the details, but one night, when we were at a diner together, they...they got all killed. I had the luck to be in the bathroom when the killer came inside and he didn't find me there. But he killed them all." Tears were fogging her view but still she was able to see the expression on his face; pure shock.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "You didn't have to tell me that."

"I had to." She wiped her eyes dry and gave him a tiny smile. "It hurts like crap, but I want you to know how much I trust in you. The both of us had to face a lot of pain in the past and I think it's good that we're able to talk about it with each other. I don't want to have any secrets in front of you and I hope you believe me that I won't ever change my mind about you. I can only imagine how much it hurt you to be taken away from your parents and then being pushed around like that. But there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It wasn't your fault."

He gazed back at her in silence for a moment and she wished she was able to read his mind. She dearly hoped he had understood how much this confession meant. She wanted him to know that she trusted in him, unlike those people from his past. She also didn't want any secrets between them; this was a painful part of her own past and even though she couldn't talk about it now, she wanted him to know about it.

"I think you and I are damn lucky," he said then, resting an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. As she rested her head against his chest and his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace, she felt the pain deep inside her chest slowly disappear. "Because I think we finally found that one person. You know what I mean?"

She nodded, fully understanding what he was referring to. "Yes, we're really lucky."

They hadn't said the three magical words yet. But Danny and Lindsay knew they loved each other. Speaking it out wasn't easy yet, but their little confessions had been a big step into the right direction. The pain of the past was bothering them but even though talking about it had been a huge challenge for them, they were glad they had done it. Because now there was at least one person who would listen.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Like I promised, I'm trying to update my other fics now and this one here is next. I hope you will like the new chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! Special thanks to xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, rapidtetv, rhymenocerous, saturn567, Dine89, stmahu, dannymesserforever11, afrozenheart412, Jupitor's-Cowgirl and Hannah554!**

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**It was an early Saturday morning. Even the curtains couldn't hold back the bright sunshine of yet another beautiful summer day. As Lindsay woke up, she instinctively snuggled closer into Danny. She had gotten used to staying at his place over the night. So far he had kept his promise and not tried to seduce her or push her into anything that could go too far.

It was a whole new experience for Lindsay. She had promised herself to not start any relationships again for a while. She had been in love with Damien and he had not only abused her feelings for his own pleasure but also ruined almost all her friendships. She had been bullied. Something like that wasn't supposed to ever happen again.

She couldn't have expected that she would fall in love with Danny as well and she was glad that after she had given them a chance, he had shown to her that he was no liar like Damien. He was treating her with respect and love. She had been willing to share the stories of her past with him. He knew about Damien, and he even knew about her friends. Never before she had trusted in someone else but her family so much.

Probably he had been hesitant himself though. Lindsay was still grateful that Danny had been so open and had told her how he had grown up. This story made her heart ache. Since his childhood, he had never had a steady person in his life who could have shown him how it felt like to be loved. He never had those two persons who raised him, who kissed him goodnight, who listened to his problems at school, who celebrated his baseball successes with him, who listened to all the questions a teenager had.

He didn't know how it felt like to have parents who were always there for him, no matter if he was happy or not. His story had made Lindsay once again realise how grateful she was for her own family; they had been there all the time, especially when she had needed them the most.

Instead of being so lucky himself, Danny had had various foster parents over the years. Lindsay didn't want to imagine how he must have felt whenever yet another family had sent him away again. It was almost impossible for a child or teenager not to believe it was his own fault. They hadn't given him a chance. Prejudices had fogged their view and so he had never gotten the opportunity to show what a person he really was.

Lindsay could understand that Danny was worried she would change her mind as well. She didn't want to think of how many people would have pushed him away after finding out that his parents had been involved with criminal business, believing he had to be just like them. She had to convince him and she had decided that being completely honest to him would show him how much she trusted in him.

She knew the concern would always return; after all she knew this behaviour from herself. She would make sure that at least with her and with his best friends, he had some people who wouldn't push him away, who would love him for the person he was and who wouldn't avoid him for his family who he wasn't responsible for.

Yawning lightly, she stretched in bed and opened her eyes. A smile lit her face as she rolled onto her stomach so she could look up at her sleeping boyfriend. She rested her chin on his chest, reaching out to brush her fingers over his cheek. Her smile widened as he stirred lightly at the soft touch.

The closeness between them was getting stronger and stronger with every day. She trusted in him. Lindsay was no longer worried to make the next step in their relationship, but she didn't want to hurry either. It was no longer about being afraid Danny could abuse her feelings; she knew he wouldn't do that.

She also believed that the fact that they were focusing on getting closer instead of following their physical needs was one reason why they had such an intense relationship now.

"You having a new hobby, Montana?"

Danny's sleepy voice interrupted her in her thoughts. Lindsay noticed he was gazing down at her with a smirk. Of course he had caught her staring again and despite herself, she couldn't help but blush.

"Well, I just wanted to see what's so great about staring at your partner," she answered then. "Because you keep on doing that so often yourself."

Danny laughed at her response, almost knocking her off his chest. "That was a good one, Montana," he answered. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her petite body, pulling her fully on top of him. Lindsay couldn't help but shiver lightly. The full body contact, even though their clothes were in the way, caused a wonderful heat deep inside her and she was glad that he wasn't pushy.

"What are we going to do with this beautiful day?" she asked him, lazily drawing circles on his chest with her index finger. She didn't miss the sparks in his blue eyes.

"We could just stay in bed all day," he suggested, grinning at her. His hands were running up and down her spine, and she found it difficult to not get distracted by the sensation of that. "I promise I won't do anything naughty."

Lindsay rolled her eyes at him. "It's such a sunny day and the first thing you have in mind is staying in bed all day." She chuckled at the look he gave her before she turned serious again. She could still see the sparks in those blue eyes; an expression that told her how much he was longing for her. "I know being in bed with me isn't really the most exciting thing ever. You guys don't really like to cuddle and all."

Danny sighed deeply. He tightened his grip around her and held her even closer. "I think we had this conversation already, right?" he asked. "I love our relationship the way it is. I've never had such a relationship before." He paused. "In fact I'm glad that you made us wait. I doubt we'd be so close now if we had started with sex right away. It'd been more important than anything else I'm afraid, and I doubt we'd be as far as we're now."

Lindsay smiled at his words, shaking her head. "I think you and I are sharing a mind."

He chuckled. "I think so, too. So no worrying, okay? I love our relationship the way it is. Yeah, I have to admit it, I often think of...you know. I think I've never been longing for a woman so much before. You're pretty much the hottest woman ever." He grinned as Lindsay blushed. "What? It's true. You're so sexy and hot that I wonder if it's legal." He winked at her. "But even though I'd love to jump you like a hundred times a day, I love it the way it's now as well. We'll do it when it's the right time for that. We shouldn't plan it and we also shouldn't feel like we should hurry up. This is about us and we'll do it whenever it's the right time."

Her smile widened. "Thank you." Gently, she brushed her hand over his cheek. "So now what will we do with this day?"

Danny shrugged. "Whatever you want. We could go to the park again. Or to the beach."

"To the beach?" Lindsay looked at him in excitement.

"Yeah," Danny answered. "You've not been on Coney Island yet?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet."

"Seriously?" Danny looked at her in playful disbelief. "Then here we have our plan for today." He moved to sit up and she climbed down from on top of him.

"Why are you in such a hurry now?" she wanted to know.

"Because the earlier we go to the beach the more chances we have that we'll actually have some space without other guests lying right next to us," he answered and added with a wink, "Plus I can't wait to see you in a bikini. So quick, get your bikini and whatever else you need for the beach. We'll meet here again."

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. "You're just too cute, you know that?"

Danny raised his eyebrows at her. "Don't ever say that in front of anyone else. Now quick, hurry."

Still laughing, she followed his wish. A day at the beach was definitely a good idea.

* * *

He didn't know why going to the beach hadn't come to his mind earlier. Danny had seen the sparks in Lindsay's eyes; she was excited and he could imagine that. From what he knew, she had never been on vacation outside of Montana and if she hadn't been to Coney Island yet, she had never been at a beach before. She would love it, and he would have some fun as well.

Even though he knew his jealousy would bother him. So far, he had never seen her completely naked. She had changed in front of him, but usually he hadn't gotten to see much anyway. In her underwear, she had already looked incredibly sexy, and lying at the beach in a bikini would attract a lot of attention.

It was worth it though. Danny had never believed it was possible, but at the moment he couldn't think of anything more wonderful than spending time with his girlfriend. He hadn't been lying when he had told Lindsay that he was glad they had started their relationship without having sex. He knew if they had started differently, he would have focused on that; he wouldn't know her as good as he knew her now and they wouldn't be so close yet.

He also hadn't been lying when he had said that he could constantly go further with her; she was sexy and the fact that she didn't really know that made it even worse. He wanted her, more than anything, but their relationship was too precious to him to put any pressure on her.

It was a behaviour which had surprised him at first. No one, except Don maybe, would have expected that he could be so patient, could have a relationship that was not only based on physical intimacy.

In the past, it had been the only kind of relationship he had been capable of. He knew he had had a problem with opening his heart to an intimate and emotional relationship. He got annoyed by men who kept on blaming others for this problem, but he had to admit that after being passed from one foster family to the other, he had promised himself that at least women would never be able to hurt him like that. Even Don had had a hard time with earning his friendship. It had taken him a while until he had believed that his best friend wouldn't change his mind about him.

Lindsay wouldn't either. Danny had to admit that he had been surprised by the pure trust she had shown to him with not only telling him about Damien but also with sharing the painful story of her friends with him. This bond between them had needed its time and even though he knew he only had to push gently and she would be willing to take the next step in their relationship, he wouldn't do it. He had allowed her to set the pace and he wouldn't change his mind.

Instead Danny was enjoying that finally he was able to experience a real relationship. In the past, he had rolled his eyes at men who loved to wake up with their girlfriends in their arms. Now he couldn't think of a better way to wake up than with Lindsay in his bed.

"Thinking about anything special?"

He had been so lost in his thoughts while sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for her to return, that he hadn't even noticed how she had entered his apartment again. Now Danny found Lindsay leaning in the doorway of his bedroom, watching him amused. He wanted to comment back, but words failed him as he took in the sight in front of him. His smiling girlfriend had brushed her curly hair which now looked like pure silk. She was wearing a soft, white strapless dress which ended a few inches above her knees. Under this dress, she was wearing a blue bikini which he could only see the straps of that were tied together behind the back of her neck. She was carrying a large back which he assumed contained everything one needed for a trip to the beach.

"Is everything alright?" she wanted to know.

"Sure," he answered. "Just speechless." Danny got up and stepped over to Lindsay. He saw how her cheeks reddened as he kept on staring at her and he couldn't help but smirk. "Blue bikini? White, short dress?"

She smirked back at him. "You aren't looking bad yourself." She gave him a look over and his smirk widened. Her self confidence was finally growing. "Ready for a trip to the beach?"

He nodded. "Definitely."

Still smirking, Danny offered his arm to Lindsay and with a chuckle, she linked hers with it. It was a beautiful day and spending it outside their apartments was a must. Going to the beach would be even better.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Like promised, I'm updating faster this time. There will also soon be an M rated oneshot posted which will be based on this fic. I'm sure you can imagine what it will be about. ;) Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing! Special thanks to rhymenocerous, dannymesserforever11, afrozenheart412, saturn567, Dine89, DreamerChild88 and Lindsay1234!**

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**The day seemed to get more beautiful by the second and as they arrived at the beach, Lindsay had to force herself not to run over to it, drop everything and jump into the water like a child. She knew her facial expression gave her away though and Danny seemed to be amused by that.

"I can't believe you've never been here," he said as he grabbed her huge bag to carry it for her. She couldn't help but smile at his subconscious gesture. If he wanted to, he could be a real gentleman.

"As you know, I don't have a car," she answered. He raised his eyebrows at her, shaking his head.

"So? You could've asked me," he said.

Lindsay shrugged. "Not really."

"And why not?" he wanted to know.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You always want the details, huh?"

Danny grinned. "Of course I want the details. So?"

"I was just shy," she answered. "Not shy in general, but around you. I've always somehow had a crush on you, and I would've never asked you if you'd go to the beach with me. Especially not because I would've possibly...stared at you all day." She blushed.

Danny laughed. "And you say I'm the cute one? You're too adorable for words, Montana. Luckily you were drunk that one night, or I'd still not know that you have a crush on me."

"Yeah, thanks to the alcohol." Lindsay chuckled. They had reached the beach and she took her shoes off. Slowly to enjoy the moment even more, she stepped onto the sand, stopping for a moment. A grin lit her face before she once again blushed bright red. "It's embarrassing that in my age, I've never been at a beach."

"Only when it's embarrassing that in my age, I've never been in the mountains," Danny answered with a wink. "Enjoy the feeling."

He smiled at her warmly, obviously not believing she was crazy, but still Lindsay linked her arm with Danny's again and let him lead her to the perfect spot on the already rather crowded beach.

"Seems like everyone in New York is enjoying the weather here," she said as Danny stopped at a place a couple of feet away from the water, with hardly any other people around. Such spots were rare, but she was glad they didn't have to squeeze in between others. Some privacy was required.

"That's nothing, on some days you can't walk a step without stumbling over someone," he answered, spreading their blanket on the sand. Lindsay helped him to empty the bag.

"Did you take a lot of girlfriends to the beach already?" she asked before she could stop herself. As he looked up at her, she blushed bright red once again. "Sorry, I don't know why I asked that now."

"Don't always apologize for your questions," he answered. "It's fine. No, I never took any girlfriends to the beach. I don't know why. Maybe because I didn't care for them enough to spend much time together with them." It was his turn to blush. "I've not been an ass, even if it sounds like that. I always told the women that I didn't want to have a relationship with them and that they should think about it before they agreed to go out with me. They did it anyway. I don't know what I could have done to bring my point across. It's also the reason why I was so careful with you when I got to know you. I didn't want to start anything which I wouldn't be able to continue."

"Did you change your mind by now?" she wanted to know.

He smiled at her. "What do you think?"

Still with a red face, Lindsay shrugged. "You seem to like it so far."

Danny laughed. "I do like it indeed, Montana. I guess it was about time I met the perfect woman for a real relationship." He sat down on the blanket. She watched how he pulled his shirt over his head before he nodded towards the free space on it. "Come on, lets enjoy some beach time."

Lindsay nodded. She watched him as he undressed completely and for a moment she had to think of his words again. She had never believed that he was a bad guy, even when she hadn't known what was hidden behind his behaviour. She knew he had been open and let the women know what he was expecting from being together with them. Something about them seemed to have changed his mind and she couldn't help but be excited about the fact that obviously with her, he was able to have a serious relationship, even without sleeping with her so far.

"I understand you enjoy staring at me," he said, causing her to snap back to the present. "But don't you want to undress yourself?" He had arranged himself on his back already, grinning up at her. He had made them cover each other in suntan oil at home already, and she had shaken her head at him when he had explained his reasons for it. He didn't want anyone to stare at them. His jealousy was amusing her.

"Don't be so full of yourself," Lindsay replied. She had to admit though that Danny was indeed a delicious sight. His tanned skin and the perfect muscles were making him look like he had right jumped out of her fantasy. She had seen him only wearing his underwear various times before, but still this sight caused a heat deep inside her which made her shudder deliciously.

"Fine," she said. She opened the zipper and carefully wiggled her way out of her dress. Carefully, she folded it and put it into the now empty bag. When she looked up at Danny again, Lindsay felt like her cheeks were burning once more. "You act as if you never saw a woman in a bikini before."

"Not one who's so smoking hot in it," he answered and this time his voice revealed that he wasn't teasing her. He had told her more than once that he was longing for her, but that he was also willing to control himself. Once again, his eyes revealed what he was thinking and she couldn't help the shyness that was immediately rising inside her as he let his eyes roam over her body just briefly.

He seemed to sense her discomfort. "Come here," Danny told her, offering her to lie down in his arms. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"How do you want to lie in the sun properly when I'm covering half of your body?" Lindsay asked, following his invitation though.

Danny laughed. "I don't count to those who only go to the beach for sunbathing." He wrapped his arms around her as she lay down and she rested her head on his chest. Without any clothes in the way, the soft contact of their skin caused the heat inside her to increase immensely.

"I also thought you didn't count to those who like to cuddle and you proved me wrong," she answered. Instead of answering, he rolled them over so she was lying next to him and he could face her. His arms were still wrapped around her and Lindsay knew her own eyes were revealing how much she enjoyed the closeness between them.

Danny didn't reply to her statement. Instead he used the moment to gaze back at her. He gently ran his fingers over her still reddened cheeks. Her heart was racing in her chest as she watched how he studied her face and once again Lindsay caught herself by wishing she could read his mind. There was an easy way to find out though.

"I know you guys hate this question," she said. "But what are you thinking about?"

Danny smirked at her question. "Nothing special. Just how happy I am to be here with you. I always rolled my eyes at the couples at the beach, but I think I got it now. It's great to lie in the sand with your girlfriend, or to swim in the sea together. Much better than doing it alone. We should come here more often."

"We should." She ran her fingers up and down his chest lightly, enjoying the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips. "I'm glad you changed your mind. About relationships I mean. I'm glad you gave us a chance."

He looked at her in surprise. "To me, it more felt like you're the one who gave us a chance."

Lindsay chuckled. "Are we going to discuss that now?" She smiled. "You know what I mean. I can understand you weren't too eager to start something serious with a woman, especially as there are many out there who probably aren't ready for a real relationship either. I'm happy you think that I'm worth your trust."

"Of course you are." Danny bent forward to kiss her softly. "And I want you to stop worrying."

"What?" Lindsay looked at him in confusion.

"You know what I mean," he repeated what she had said with a wink. "Stop worrying because of us. I love the relationship the way it is. I won't push you into anything and I also won't change my mind."

"I know you won't," Lindsay answered, surprising herself with the fact that she really believed him. She hesitated a moment before she added, "Actually...for me, things changed as well. I don't think I'm not ready for that anymore. It's not about the trust, because I couldn't trust you more than I do by now. I think I'm just...afraid a bit."

"Why are you afraid?" he wanted to know.

Once again, Lindsay felt her shyness return. "I don't know. It's just that...well, I don't have that much experience, you know? I only had Damien, and he...well, I think I didn't really learn anything from him either. Everyone always said how awesome it is to be together with a guy and how fantastic it makes you feel to sleep with your boyfriend, but I never found it fantastic. I guess he had his fun, but I definitely didn't. I know you're a different man, but it's hard to get it out of your head and imagine that it can be different with someone else." She believed her face looked like she had a sunburn ever since they had arrived at the beach. "I sound stupid, I know that."

"Why are you saying that?" he asked back. Gently, he ran his hand through her curly hair. "Don't you think I found it hard to imagine how it'd be like to have a real relationship? Or to feel what I'm feeling for you now? Of course you keep on thinking of how it was like when you were together with Damien. It's the only experiences you made, and they weren't only bad but he also used your feelings for him against you. If I was you, I wouldn't feel any different."

"Maybe I should just make the step though?" she asked. "You did it as well. You decided to listen to your feelings and give it a try."

"Only if you're ready for it," he repeated. "Even if you decide to give it a try, we can still take things slow. I'm not Damien."

"I know you're not." Lindsay gave him a quick kiss, smiling at him. "I think I don't really want to wait that much longer anymore." She chuckled as she saw how he forced himself to not grin at her words. "You can show me if you're happy about that."

Danny laughed. "I'd be crazy if I was not." Once again he kissed her, deeper this time, and before she knew it, she found herself being pressed up against his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly. She had already discovered that the sensation of their kisses had gotten more and more intense the longer they were together. At first she had been nervous as she knew how many different kinds of women he had had. Soon she had learnt though that she had to trust her instinct. They were close, very close. Relationships didn't have much to do with experience.

The kiss seemed to last for hours until they broke apart again. Lindsay knew they weren't alone at the beach and that everyone could see them practically making out, but she didn't mind. They didn't do anything that would go too far and she didn't care what anyone was thinking. After such a long time, she was finally happy with a man and no jealous man or woman would change that.

"There's something I want you to stop doing though," Danny said then.

"What is it?" Lindsay wanted to know.

"I want you to stop worrying," he answered. "I know you only had one boyfriend, and the guy wasn't even a good one. This isn't about experience though and about who can do what. I had a couple of women who had who knows how many boyfriends, and believe me when I tell you that those experiences didn't make them better lovers. Just follow your instinct and trust in me."

"I'll try my best," she answered with a wink. "Thank you."

He winked back at her, kissing her once again. "I suggest we go swimming now," he told her then. "It's kinda hot in the sun all the time. Especially with such a hottie lying next to you."

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "Oh, I think then we really need a cool bath now."

Smirking at Lindsay, Danny took her hand and pulled her up from their blanket. They kept on holding hands as they ran into the water together. The longer they were together, the more she trusted in him, and she knew it wouldn't take much longer until she wanted more from him than just kissing and cuddling.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's still reading and reviewing this story! It's great to hear what you think of it! Special thanks to afrozenheart412, dannymesserforever11, Dine89 and DreamerChild88!**

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**Lindsay couldn't believe she hadn't been at the beach before. She had to admit that asking Danny if he could visit it together with her would have been a great idea. After all they had been friends all the time and it would have been a great way to get to know each other better.

Now they had just been swimming in the ocean and she didn't remember when she had had so much fun for the last time. They had been swimming and chasing each other which had resulted in them holding each other close while letting the waves carry them.

It was an amazing experience. After Damien, Lindsay had been sure she wouldn't want any relationships anymore for the next decades. Even when she had realised her feelings for Danny were growing and soon were more than just friendship, she had tried to keep this thought out of her mind. A relationship was dangerous when it went wrong and she definitely didn't want to be bullied by yet another boyfriend.

He hadn't even stopped when she had to deal with the pain of being victim and witness of such a brutal crime and with losing her three best friends. This had happened only a few years ago and Lindsay knew that her way to deal with the memories wasn't the best. She tried to keep the thoughts out of her mind as good as possible. At home, it hadn't worked, but there she had had her family members who had listened and supported her while no one else seemed to care. They had allowed her to switch schools, but this hadn't changed her pain. The memories, the guilt and the pain wouldn't go anywhere, especially not when she stayed in the town where everything reminded her of her three friends. And of those who had tried to bully her out of school. With success.

"Is everything okay with you?"

Danny's soft question made Lindsay realise that her thoughts had been drifting away once again. She felt how her cheeks reddened as she gazed up at him. She had completely forgotten that they had returned to their blanket. She was lying half on top of him with his arms wrapped around her in a loving embrace. This had been the perfect way to warm each other up after swimming in the cold water. But now she suddenly felt insecurity rising again as she noticed the intense gaze with which he was studying her.

Sighing softly, she sat up. The look in his eyes told her he was getting worried and she knew she had to talk. She shouldn't wait until he asked her again.

"I think maybe you were right," Lindsay admitted, turning away to look at the beautiful view in front of her. This time she couldn't enjoy it. "I shouldn't have spoken about my friends. It would have been enough to tell you about Damien."

"So you regret that I know about that?" Danny asked and even though he tried to hide it, she could hear the thought of that was hurting him. She had chosen the wrong words.

"No, of course not," she replied, turning to face him again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that talking about it brought it all back. Even though it wasn't even a detailed description. But...when I came to New York, I saw that as a fresh start. I wanted to leave my past behind me; the bullying but even more what had happened to my friends. I wanted to stop thinking about it. I didn't want to stop thinking of them but...I didn't want to remember what happened to them, how I found them and all. It worked quite well actually. Now it's like it was all those years in Montana again." She sighed. "It's stupid, I'm sorry for sounding like that. On the one side I'm glad I told you about it so there are no secrets between us as this experience had a...very intense impact on me and I might...act strange sometimes. Now you at least understand why. But on the other hand it hurts so much again and I was hoping it wouldn't anymore. Especially not because it worked so well at the beginning."

Danny nodded. "I understand what you mean." His expression had softened; much to her relief. "Honestly? I think you can't suppress memories for a long time though. It might work for a few weeks, maybe even for a few months if you keep yourself distracted. But I think even if you hadn't talked about it, it would have come up somewhere along the line. Something would have reminded you of them. Or someone would have said something. Maybe you would have dreamt of them or your family would have accidentally made a comment. Suppressing never really works I think. Only for a short time. You never fully get things out of your mind, especially not when they affected you so much."

"So much for a fresh start," she replied with a weak smile. Her face reddened even more. "I'm sorry, I'm ruining our day with all that. It's just that now that all the memories came back like that, it's hard to keep them out of my mind. I'm sorry."

Danny sighed playfully. "I think we have to stop all the apologizing." He moved closer to her and embraced her gently. "I'm no therapist and I never suffered from such a traumatic experience, but I guess keeping it all to yourself isn't a good idea. You should talk about it when it's bothering you. I can understand you just want to forget the pain and keep your friends in mind along with happy thoughts, but it doesn't really seem to work. So if you start to think of them, don't feel like you have to stop yourself from doing that. You can always talk to me about it. You don't have to of course when it makes you feel uncomfortable, but if you feel like it might help you, I'll always listen."

Lindsay believed her face had to be red like a tomato at this point. A behaviour like that she only knew from family members. People at school had never offered to listen to her; even when she had changed schools. Instead even at her new school, people had avoided her because they had sensed something was wrong. They didn't want to be bothered by that. Now Danny was sitting in front of her, clearly caring for her and willing to listen for the case she wanted to talk. She knew he wasn't offering this to her because he wanted an advantage out of it. He truly wanted to help her.

"You can't be real," Lindsay said, not even realising she had actually spoken her thoughts out.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Oh." Lindsay looked at him in embarrassment. "Well, it just feels so unreal. I always liked you a lot and thought you were a great guy. I never believed all this stuff they said about you; that you don't want to be in a relationship and all."

"That wasn't a lie," Danny admitted. "I really didn't want that. At least not with the women I met back then."

Lindsay nodded. "I know. But see...now you're together with me and I'm really not an easy girlfriend. I didn't allow you to sleep with me. I shared this story with you, and the thing about Damien. You offered to listen to me whenever I have to talk to you, you promised you'd let me decide how quickly we get closer...why are you doing all that? Isn't that just exhausting? To me it seems like people want to have fun in a relationship, not deal with problems all the time."

"If I just wanted to have fun and nothing else, I'd just continue all those random relationships that last a few days or weeks and that's it," Danny answered. "I'm tired of that though, okay? I want to be together with you. I've never felt like that for a woman before. I just want to be around you all the time, I want to joke around with you like we did earlier, I want to be close to you, but I also want us to be honest and share the serious stuff with each other as well. I think in a relationship, it's not always about the fun and sex. I told you I'd wait because I know after what Damien did, you need some time until you make this step again. I want to help you with this pain because of your friends. I know I'm no therapist, but I'm a good listener and when it helps you just a bit to feel better or to deal with it better, I'm more than happy to listen." He paused. "Honestly, I don't understand why you believe this is one-sided. You remember the story I told you about? You knew I was someone who had problems with starting a relationship, yet you gave us a chance because you thought I'm worth it. You let me tell you about my parents and you didn't give me an odd look when you found out that they're criminals. You accept me the way I am, and that's pretty much the first time that happens to me. Don is the only one who didn't run away sooner or later after finding out. Even the foster families didn't want me. But you...you trust in me so much that you even shared this painful story with me. I think you have no idea how much this means to me, and how much it means to me that you want to be together with me."

Lindsay had to admit that she never had looked at their relationship from this point of view. She knew how insecure Danny was regarding his past. He had been pushed from one family to the other. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't allowed himself to fall in love with a woman or let her anywhere near his heart. Over all those years, he had let all those families into his heart because he had hoped they would give him what his own parents hadn't been able to give him. Every time his heart had been broken, over and over again. It wasn't surprising her at all that he had promised to himself to protect his heart, to not let any woman in as long as he wasn't sure that she wouldn't hurt him as well. No admitting of feelings, no cuddling, no serious and emotional conversations; to sum it up, he had tried to avoid every kind of closeness.

Then he had met her and for the first time, someone wasn't pushing him away, even though she knew about his family. Lindsay could imagine that this was a surprise for him. Just like to her it was a surprise how Danny was willing to support her.

"I think we're really good for each other," she said then.

He smiled. "Definitely." He pulled her closer, burying his face in her curly hair. "Just keep one thing in mind, alright? Our relationship is wonderful. I know I can always come to you, and you can always come to me as well, okay?"

She smiled as well as he turned her face around so he could look at her. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Gently, she ran a hand through his short hair that was still slightly wet. "The thing with your family is still bothering you so much. You said suppressing it doesn't work. I guess you're talking from own experience."

He nodded slowly. "I try to stop thinking of them. Or of this day when they got arrested. I won't ever forget it though. It won't just go away."

"Then I think you should talk about it as well," Lindsay suggested. "You offered that I talk to you when I'm thinking of my friends. I think it's a good idea, because I'm feeling better already thanks to you. But I want you to do the same. When you're thinking of them so much, I want you to bring the topic up. No matter when." Her smile softened at the look he was giving her. "I mean it, okay? You can be sure that there's nothing you could tell me that would push me away from you. I know they were criminals and did a lot of bad stuff. I know you're not like them. I won't change my mind, no matter what you'll tell me."

"I know," Danny answered. "I'll try my best." He smirked lightly. "Maybe we should make a deal. You talk when you need to, and I'll do the same."

Smirking back at him, Lindsay nodded. "Very good idea." She snuggled back against him wrapping her arms around him tightly. "And now I'd like to enjoy our trip to the beach again."

"Now that's an idea I love as well," he replied, kissing her gently.

Lindsay knew that for neither of them, it would be easy to talk when their memories were bothering them again, but she knew she and Danny should try it anyway. Even though they had to face experiences that were very different from each other, they could relate to the feelings they had to handle. Both of them had tried to suppress their memories, both of them knew it didn't work. In each other, they had found someone who would listen though and both of them were determined to make use of that.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here's a new chapter for you! Just a little information; I will post an M rated oneshot soon which will be set after this chapter here. Its name is 'Passion For You'. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this fic! Special thanks to afrozenheart412, Dine89, 6, rapidtetv and dannymesserforever11!**

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**It was afternoon when Lindsay returned to her apartment. She and Danny had agreed to meet later again, but for now she needed to get home and needed to eat something else than sandwiches.

She had already imagined that going to the beach with him would be a lot of fun. It had been more than that though. They had had another serious conversation which again had answered a lot of questions that had been bugging her. Was he really happy with their relationship? She had forgotten that he was feeling insecure himself. She hoped that by now, he understood that he didn't have to worry that she would change her mind about him.

She was also no longer regretting her decision to tell him about what had happened to her friends. This traumatic experience had had an impact on her and would never be put aside. Seeing a therapist had helped her a lot, so did the support of her family. It didn't change though that she kept on having nightmares, that she was often feeling guilty and that she had started to stay away from everyone who was at her age, afraid of what they would do to her.

Those years had been so tough that there was a lot she couldn't remember anymore. Her therapist had told her that her mind was trying to protect itself like that. After Damien, she had been bullied not only by her ex-boyfriend but also by almost everyone else at school. Only her friends had always been there and helped her through this time. Until one psychotic, brutal man had decided to kill those three friends at their favourite diner in Bozeman. Then there had been no one anymore.

Lindsay knew that the bullying at school had increased after all the weeks she had come back to school. She knew she hadn't been there for long before her parents had sent her to another school to protect her from those teenagers. To her, it now seemed as if this time hadn't been real, as if she had been living in a nightmare, but deep inside she knew she hadn't been dreaming.

It wasn't surprising that she had been careful and hesitant when she had moved to New York. Luckily Jess had made sure that she realised that not everyone had the urge to treat her bad, to hurt her. She had found a wonderful best friend in her; a best friend who could almost be called a sister by now. She knew she could trust in her; Jess would never use her, would never bully her.

And her new boyfriend wouldn't either. Lindsay could imagine how Danny felt about having a best friend like Don; it was difficult to find someone who was willing to be supportive. But the two of them had something that was even more precious. There was a connection between them that couldn't be stronger. They could count on each other, they understood each other. It was for sure that they wouldn't change their mind about each other and the knowledge of that was a great relief, for both of them.

For a moment only, Lindsay had regretted that she had brought up this traumatic story of her past. It had brought back all those memories which she had more or less successfully suppressed over the last couple of months since she had moved to New York. She had to admit that Danny was right though; they would have returned sooner or later anyway. Memories couldn't just be forgotten, especially not memories like that. She didn't want to forget about her friends, but this meant she had to think of what had happened to them as well.

Now she was grateful she had shared this story with him. Even though she trusted in Jess, she wasn't ready to bring it up yet. She knew she would sooner or later and she knew her friend would listen and support her. But for now she needed more time. It was enough that her best friend knew about Damien.

It was helpful though that Danny knew more. Lindsay knew she could always call her family members if she needed to talk. But having someone in New York who not only listened but even understood her was a big advantage. She knew she could come to him whenever she needed him and even though she was still hesitant, she would make use of his offer, hoping he would do the same.

A smile lit her face as she entered the apartment and was greeted by the cursing of her best friend. She didn't even have to enter the kitchen to know what Jess was doing.

"I'm back home," Lindsay announced her presence. "Is everything okay? Let me guess...someone is either cooking or baking and it's not going the way she wants?"

"You better come here and help me!" Jess shouted back.

Chuckling, Lindsay followed the wish and joined her friend in the kitchen. Jess was standing in front of the kitchen counter, glaring at a recipe book that was resting in front of her. "I swear, those are more complicated than a law book," she sighed, looking up. As she gazed at Lindsay, she raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Hey! You look like you had a great day. Or what's all this smiling about?"

Lindsay nodded. "Yes, Danny and I went to the beach," she said, stepping over to Jess. "It was really nice."

"Oh, I can imagine!" Jess agreed. "When Don and I went to the beach for the first time, I guess we got on the nerves of the other people there. I mean, because you don't really wanna see a cuddling couple in front of you all the time. Then again who cares? We didn't do anything that could have offended anyone. But isn't it so much better with a boyfriend? Going to the beach, swimming, lying in the sand together...so much better. I'm glad you decided to give it a try. Took you long enough to realise that the two of you are perfect for each other."

"You knew it all the time, huh?" Lindsay asked amused.

Jess winked at her. "Of course. Or why else do you think Don and I always tried to make you spend time with each other. I know the two of you have your reasons why you're so careful with letting people in, and so we had to give you little pushes. We always knew you'd be perfect together. I'm glad it worked."

Lindsay could only smile in response. She knew her best friend was honest. Jess and Don had always arranged little situations in which they would either all meet together or in which the two of them would even be alone. It had worked; they had gotten closer and closer until they had admitted that they wanted to give a relationship a try.

"Did I ever thank you for all of that?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Jess nodded. "You do it every day with being my friend." She smiled. "But now it'd be really great if you could help me with my cookies. Don will show up here soon and I'd like to be done by then."

Laughing, Lindsay took the recipe book, trying to understand the description while once again she had to think of Danny, eagerly looking forward to when he would show up and visit her later.

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When Danny entered his apartment, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his best friend. Don was half sitting, half lying on the couch, watching a game on TV. He had to admit he was longing for later when he would visit Lindsay again; if it was up to him, the two of them would just move in with each other. But he also didn't want to neglect his best friend.

"I bet if you look up laziness, there will be a picture of you for better understanding," he said as he made his way over to the couch to sit down as well.

Don raised his eyebrows at him. "Whoa, good one," he said sarcastically, hardly able to stay serious though. "Where have you been all the time?"

"Lindsay and I went to the beach," Danny answered. "For the case you're interested, it was really nice."

"I can imagine," Don said with a wink. "I bet she looks fantastic in a bikini."

"Watch it, Don," Danny warned him playfully. He sighed. "It's strange, you know? I never knew how much I wanted to have a real relationship. Until now. I couldn't think of anything better." Despite himself, he blushed a bit. "To be honest, I still find it strange that she wants to be together with me in the first place."

Don rolled his eyes. "Why? Because your parents are in jail? Was that your fault? No. You were a kid when that happened. You weren't involved in their business. Ever. She knows that. She's like me; she knows how you are. You're a wonderful person. Everyone can always count on you. You have a good heart. Look at the two of you! I know you still didn't sleep with her because you want to give her the time she needs. You listen to her when she needs you. Every woman would be happy to have a boyfriend like you. Just like you're happy to have a wonderful girlfriend like her. The two of you understand each other. You know how it's like to be pushed away by people. You know how prejudices feel like. You won't ever do that to each other." He sat up straight. "Listen to me, alright? I want you to stop worrying. She won't change her mind about you. She wants to be together with you. I bet she's just as insecure as you."

Danny sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately. For some reason she thinks that I'll get tired of waiting for her and of listening to her. That a relationship should be fun and easy."

"And what do you think?" Don wanted to know.

"What do I think?" Danny asked back. "That she's wrong. I'd never push her into anything, even if she let me wait for a year. I love to listen to her because I know it helps her. I don't just want the easy stuff where you only talk about random stuff and have fun and that's it. I want to be together with her and have fun but also talk about serious stuff and problems and all."

Don nodded. "Exactly, and I guess you told her that." When Danny nodded, he added, "So I also think you want her to believe you, right?" His friend nodded again. "Good. So now tell me, did you tell her what makes you insecure?"

"Yeah," Danny answered. "And before you ask, she said she won't ever change her mind about me and that she sees who I really am. That she doesn't care about my past or my family. She even said she wouldn't care if I once was involved with their business as well because for her, it counts who I'm now."

"See?" Don smiled satisfied. "And when you expect from her that she should believe you, you should believe her as well."

Danny couldn't help but sigh again. "Are you sure you're actually studying criminal law and not psychology?"

Don laughed. "I take that as a thank you." He snuggled back into the couch. "And now relax and enjoy the game."

Following the example of his friend, Danny made himself comfortable on the couch. He glanced at his watch and smiled. Only a few more hours and he and Lindsay would meet again.

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It was late evening and Lindsay could hardly sit still in excitement. Even though she and Danny were together for a while now, his visits always got her excited. Especially today. All ay long, she had felt that something was changing. All the time, she had been hesitant about being too close to him. She knew she could fully trust in her boyfriend, but still something had been holding her back; she hadn't been able to just sleep with him. She didn't even know why exactly she was acting like that. He wasn't Damien. He wouldn't just use her for fun and then badmouth her. She knew he was trustworthy.

Still something had been holding her back. Until now. Their relationship had gotten more and more intense with the time. They knew more about each other than anyone else. And the longing was increasing. Lindsay knew that Danny didn't have a problem with waiting for her. She had to admit she didn't want to wait anymore either though. She had always been attracted to him since she had seen him for the first time. While cuddling, she had often noticed her desire for him, had been nervous to give in to it though.

At the beach though, she had barely managed to keep her hands to herself. Lindsay wouldn't push herself; she knew she didn't have to. She had promised herself to wait until she felt the wish to sleep with Danny, until she wouldn't want to wait any longer. It seemed like she had reached this point now.

When he knocked at her door, she jumped off the couch instinctively. Chuckling nervously, she shook her head at herself. Danny would stay over night while their two best friends would be at the other apartment. Lindsay knew that this was the perfect chance to give it a try. She could try and follow her instinct, she could just give in to her desire for him.

Quickly, she made her way over to the door and opened it. She was greeted by her broadly smiling boyfriend.

"I see you finally listened to me and locked the door," he said, giving her a kiss. "Good girl."

She rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Do you want to come in or stand and talk?"

Danny winked at her, entering her apartment. "Someone's being impatient, huh?" He stopped next to her as Lindsay locked the door again. She was surprised by the intense tension she could feel. She knew it was there all the time but now it seemed to be even stronger than usually.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

She gave him a confused look. "How do you mean?"

He grinned. "I know this face. You always look like that when you're thinking about something."

Lindsay glanced back at Danny. She could see his curiosity in his eyes. He was sensing something; that didn't surprise her. She knew it wouldn't be easy to make this step that was still so big for her. But as she was standing there in front of him, she couldn't do anything against it. Without saying another word, she closed the last bit of distance between them and kissed him passionately.

"Does that answer your question?" she whispered as she pulled back, just enough to look up at him.

His expression said more than words. "I think so," he answered.

She didn't reply. Instead Lindsay kissed Danny again, even more passionately than before. She knew he had understood, and even though she was still nervous, she didn't want to wait any longer.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing this fic! Sorry it took me so long to update, but there were a few oneshots I wanted to post first! Special thanks to Dine89, afrozenheart412, saturn567, DreamerGirl88, deathdaisy N and SMacked-FLangell-DLBound!**

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**He didn't know how long he had slept. When Danny woke up, it was already dark outside. Yet it couldn't be too far after midnight as people were still walking and talking outside in the hallways. He didn't care for either the time or the other students at all though. Instead he glanced down at Lindsay whose arms were still wrapped around him in a tight embrace.

They had finally done it and he had to admit that he had been stunned by what they had experienced together. There had been a passion between them which had topped everything he had imagined. He had wanted her so baldly and the experience itself couldn't be compared to anything he had had with any other woman before. He had said the truth; it had been the best sex he had ever had.

He smiled as he watched her. Danny knew that this had been a big step for Lindsay. He could fully understand her hesitation. She had fallen in love with Damien and tried to make him happy. She had allowed him to sleep with her and he had abused her trust with dumping her the moment she asked him for being more than just someone he had his fun with.

The break up had been bad enough but the way Damien had acted after that still made Danny shake his head in disbelief. He couldn't understand how this boy had been able to spread all those rude rumours about his former girlfriend and how he had even been successful with driving everyone away from her, except those close friends. But as Danny reached this part of her past, he quickly tried to push the thoughts aside. Too painful it was to imagine what she had to go through after that. He knew sooner or later she would be able to tell him what exactly had happened, but he wouldn't push her. If she was ready though, he would be there for her and support her.

He knew sooner or later she would trust in him enough to reveal even this part of her past to him. Right now, this seemed to be too painful for her though and he wouldn't try to hear more from her if this meant pain for her. She had come to New York for a fresh start and he didn't want to ruin that only because he couldn't control himself. He would wait and be there.

Danny's smile widened as Lindsay released a soft smile in her sleep and snuggled even more into him. It was no surprise that he had admitted his feelings to her. He had never said those three words to anyone before. He had stopped doing it as a child when his parents had been sent to prison and he had realised that love was only coming from him but was never returned, from none of the families that had been supposed to raise him. He had tried to earn their love desperately at first, but with the time he had given up on that. All his afford had failed. They had had their prejudices, had rather wanted to have every other child but him and Danny had decided that no one would be worth hearing that he loved them again. He had even reached a point when he had forbidden himself to feel it.

It had worked for many years, but now there was Lindsay and Danny had found someone who had earned his love within record time. Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to prevent that from happening. There was something about her which he fully trusted in. He knew she wouldn't hurt him; because she knew how it felt like to be rejected like that but also because she was simply different.

Lindsay was so different to all the other women at campus. Danny still didn't fully understand why she had joined the cheerleader team as most of the women there were different. Then again so was her best friend and he knew that the two of them had joined to test it, not to get close to the gossip girls.

He knew Lindsay had believed that the fact she was different would sooner or later make him decide that she wasn't his type. In fact Danny had to admit that her different behaviour and attitude was the reason why he wanted her so much, why he had fallen in love with her. He knew she was truly interested in him and what he had to tell. He knew he was more to her than a good lover. He knew she cared, she had no prejudices and simply liked the person he was, even though Danny still had major problems with figuring out who he actually was. He often felt like he had raised himself, had taught himself how to be a good person, how to behave and treat people. He didn't know whether he was good as who he was or not. Lindsay seemed to believe he was a good man though and she had just shown that to him with her trust.

Ever so gently, he brushed a few loose curls out of her face. She tensed lightly at the loving touch, didn't wake up yet though. He used the chance to watch her a bit longer. It had pained him how insecure she had been at first, how she had truly believed she would disappoint him. He hadn't had an idea of how to convince her that he, the man who had had so many one night stands that he hadn't cared to count them, wanted her, a woman who had had one boyfriend before and whose relationship had completely failed. He hadn't been lying when he had tried to make her understand that experience didn't make the person a better lover.

At least when it came to him and his own taste. He had been with women who seemed to know every single trick of how to satisfy a man, but none of them he had actually wanted to be together with. It had been fun but if he was honest to himself, he had been glad that he hadn't bothered to meet them again, and it had seemed like said women hadn't been interested in anything serious either.

Now he was together with Lindsay though and Danny wanted more than just some fun. He loved her, he wanted her. Only her. And he didn't care for what she had to offer. If he had wanted one of those old flames, he would have kept them around. He hadn't been able to fully convince her with words though and so he had let actions speak with allowing her to be in control. He couldn't have been able to imagine that this idea would work so perfectly. After the first hesitation, she had managed to push her insecurity aside. It had been the most satisfying experience he had had so far.

Even though Danny didn't want to wake Lindsay up yet, he couldn't just lie and watch her. Carefully, he bent down and placed a kiss into her curly hair. Once again she tensed in his arms and this time the tender gesture had been enough to wake her up. She squeezed her eyes shut more firmly at first before she blinked and opened them to gaze right up at him. He couldn't help but kiss her again as she looked at him sleepily, smiling softly.

"I doubt it's morning already," Lindsay said, wiggling around in his arms a bit until she could fully face him. Instinctively, Danny made eye contact with her to figure out whether he could see any regret in her eyes or not. This didn't seem to stay unnoticed to her.

"Is everything okay?" she wanted to know and immediately he noticed the familiar insecurity in her voice again. Even though they had confessed their love to each other, it still seemed to require some work until they would fully stop worrying so easily.

"Of course," he answered. As she raised an eyebrow at him, he sighed. "I was just wondering...I mean, I know how difficult it was for you to make this step and I hope that now that you slept a bit, you don't regret it."

Lindsay gave him a confused look. "Why should I regret that?"

Danny shrugged. "Why did you become insecure when you thought something might not be okay?" he asked back.

Her cheeks flushed lightly. "I think you and I have to stop worrying. I mean...we talked about that yesterday, didn't we? I told you already that it was wonderful and that I'm glad we did it finally. The thing is...it wasn't about my lack of trust anymore. I fully trust in you. Otherwise I wouldn't have told you so much about my past. I was just...nervous. I was nervous that I'd disappoint you. I disappointed Damien and as you had way more partners than me, I was just afraid I'd not be good enough."

"I hope you know by now that this is not true, right?" Danny wanted to know. He had to control himself a lot to not release the anger he felt towards Damien because of all the bad thoughts he had planted in her mind. "You have to leave this guy behind. He wasn't good for you. I doubt he ever really cared for you anyway. There are people who enjoy hurting others. I guess he was one of them. You shouldn't let him affect you any longer. You're together with me, I love you and we're happy together. That's all that matters."

Lindsay smiled at him. Snuggling closer, she gently ran a hand over his bare chest, making him shudder at the loving touch. Danny hadn't missed the sparks in her eyes. He had seen them before a couple of times, but so far she had always been too shy to actually follow her instinct and her wishes. Now he knew why and he disliked this man even more. It was his job to convince her that Damien had simply intended to hurt her.

"You know, soon we'll go on our first vacation together. With our best friends even," she said then. He could practically feel her excitement increase at the prospect.

"You're really looking forward to that, right?" Danny asked. He pulled her closer until she was lying on top of him. Smirking at him, Lindsay crossed her arms on his chest and rested her chin on top of them. There was so much physical closeness between them again; no fabric was separating their bare bodies from each other. His obvious affection didn't stay unnoticed to her and as she moved on top of him lightly, he had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from groaning at the sensation of her naked front rubbing against his. It had never been easier to arouse him; he had been waiting for her for so long and now that he knew how it felt like to be intimate with her, he couldn't get enough of it.

"I am indeed looking forward to it," Lindsay answered with a bright smile that caused his heart to beat faster. "Are you sure you're looking forward to it as well though? I mean, you grew up in New York, I don't know if you're interested in something like that."

"Something like that?" Danny raised his eyebrows at Lindsay. "What do you think how I wanna spend my vacation? In the city? Nah, thanks, I have that all year long." He wrapped his arms around her petite body, gently running his hands up and down the length of her back. She squirmed lightly at the softness of the touch. There was this tension between them and now that they had made this step, it was stronger than ever. "I really am looking forward to our road trip. And to visiting your old home."

Lindsay's smile widened. "Really? You're looking forward to visiting Montana?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, of course." He blushed lightly. "I can't really show you where I grew up, but you can show me and I'd love to see that."

Lindsay's face turned serious immediately at his answer. Gently, she ran her fingertips over his cheek and bent forward to capture his lips in a soft kiss. "You can still show me where you lived if you want to," she told him. "And...maybe one day when you're ready to...visit them maybe...if you want I could join you."

Danny gazed back at her, unsure on what to reply. Don had also asked him when he would finally visit his parents in jail. He had felt guilty at first because so far he had refused to do that, but Don had explained that there was nothing to feel guilty about. Anyway his best friend thought he should visit his parents, just to sort out some things that were still bugging him so much.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Lindsay said and he realised she had still been waiting for an answer.

"Oh no, it's not that," he replied quickly. "Really, I don't mind you bringing that up. It's just...I'm not sure whether I should visit them one day or not."

"What's holding you back?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. I don't even know what to tell them. Am I supposed to tell them that I kinda raised myself, that I'm a good baseball player now and studying Criminal Law? That in fact I'm at the opposite side of the law now? And what am I supposed to ask them? If they ever thought of me in all those years? If they regret that they only thought about themselves and gave a damn on their children?"

Lindsay's expression softened. "I think the moment you're there in front of them, you'll know it. I'm not saying you should do it now or in the next days or weeks. But you should consider it as an option. You're not supposed to go there and blame them or anything. But maybe it would help you if you told them how you're feeling and how you managed to be so strong despite all the difficulties."

Her voice trailed off and he could see how much she was affected by what she was saying. It was still a new experience to him; she didn't blame him or had prejudices. Instead she was even proud of him.

"I'll see. Maybe I'll visit them one day," he said then. "But first we'll visit your family. I hope your brothers won't have a problem with me."

Lindsay laughed. "Don't worry, I know they'll love you. They might threaten you at first but when they realise that you're making me happy, they'll practically accept you as one of their own. My parents will love you as well." She smiled again. "When I told my mother that we'll all visit them, she said she's looking forward to meeting you."

Danny smiled himself. "It'll be great to meet them. But you didn't tell them that...you know."

Her face turned serious. "I did. Please don't be mad at me, okay? I knew you'd be scared because you'd believe they'd have prejudices as well. But I knew they wouldn't and I was right. My Mom said she's happy to meet you finally and that if you make me happy, she'd love to accept you as part of our family." Her face had turned bright red again. "I hope you don't mind that, but I wanted to make sure that you don't feel uncomfortable around them. And I know you would if that was an unspoken thing between them and you. I didn't want them to ask you about your family and you having to lie because you'd be too scared to tell them the truth."

She was looking at him with a worried expression. He had to admit that to his own surprise, he was even relieved. He knew she hadn't just talked about it because she couldn't keep it a secret; he knew she said the truth. She had wanted to make the meeting easier for him.

"Don't look at me like that," he told her. "I guess it was a good idea. We won't have those embarrassing moments of me not knowing what to say." He paused. "So she said she doesn't mind? She really wants to meet me?"

She nodded. "Yes, they're all excited."

Danny couldn't help but smile at her words. He had to admit that meeting her parents had worried him at first. But Lindsay seemed to be convinced that her family was looking forward to meeting him. He didn't expect them to be the family he had always been wishing for, but being accepted by them would already be a nice and new experience for him.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Oops, and again I should post a new chapter! Thanks to everyone who is still reading this fic! Thanks also for all those wonderful reviews! Special thanks to DeathDaisy, webdlfan, SM-FA-RaiNtrain, afrozenheart412, rapidtetv, Dine89 and saturn567!**

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**A few weeks later

With a deep sigh, Jess let herself fall onto the couch, a broad grin spreading across her face. "Ah, vacation time! Isn't that just perfect? So many weeks without exams, without papers or boring courses where you have to drink cans of coffee to stay awake. Instead a road trip to Montana. Could things get any better? I don't think so."

Lindsay chuckled amused as she joined her best friend in the living room, dragging her overfilled bags with her. Usually she didn't pack much for vacations, but as this road trip would last for a couple of weeks and as they would spend most of the time in their van without a chance to wash their clothes, she wanted to be sure she thought of everything.

"You're really looking forward to us spending the next few weeks in a van and visiting various cities before we'll spend some time on my parents' farm?" Lindsay asked with a smile. She was still surprised that her friends and Danny had agreed to this idea.

"I couldn't think of anything better," Jess answered. "I mean, look at us. We're young, we have to do something exciting. Of course we could just hop into a plane and spend the next few weeks at a beach. But it's so much more interesting when you discover your country in a van. There's so much we'll get to see." She jumped up from the couch again. "Plus I'm looking forward to meeting your family. They have to be awesome people if they're anything like you." She placed a kiss onto Lindsay's cheek and embraced her tightly.

"Whoa, do I have to get jealous now?" Don's teasing voice asked. As they turned around, they found him leaning in the doorway, watching them with a grin. "Nah, don't let me interrupt you. If you wanna kiss again..."

"You're such a jerk, Don." Jess rolled her eyes at her boyfriend playfully. "Why are you standing here in the first place? You got your bags packed?"

"The bags are in the van already." Don made his way over to his girlfriend, offering a grin. "And as I'm a gentleman, I thought I could see if you needed some help with yours. But now that you believe I'm a jerk..."

Jess sighed deeply, wrapping her arms around Don's neck. "Aw, you know I love you, don't you? So stop whining, be a gentleman and do what you planned to do."

Don laughed. "You know, that whole sweet look and smile is a mean weapon." He grabbed one of the large bags which his girlfriend had placed next to the door already. Jess picked the other one up and followed him.

Lindsay shook her head in amusement. This vacation wouldn't be boring at all. She threw a short glance at her own luggage before she decided to sit down for a moment. A smile lit her face as she leaned against the back of the couch and took in the place that was her home for a whole year now.

When she had moved to New York, Lindsay had been unsure if this decision had been right. Was such a huge city really the right place for her? Especially after all those experiences from the past that were still bothering her so much? She hadn't wanted to flee, but she had felt like she needed this fresh start and her family had supported her with that. She had had many long conversations with all of her family members, mostly with her parents, who had encouraged her to make this big step.

But even when everything had been arranged, she had been worried that her decision had been wrong. Until Lindsay had arrived in New York. She would have never expected that it would be so easy to meet new friends. And find a boyfriend. When she had started to have feelings for Danny, she had tried to ignore them as she couldn't imagine that there was any chance that the two of them would get together. Now they were a couple and even though she thought it sounded sappy, she firmly believed she had found her soul mate in him.

"You know, if you stay on the couch, that won't get us to Montana. Except that's a special couch that works like a plane or something."

Chuckling at the comment, Lindsay turned around to Danny. "Are you trying to make fun of me?"

"I never would." Danny made his way over to the couch and sat down next to Lindsay. Now that he was so close, she noticed that apart from excitement, there was something else she could see in his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" she wanted to know.

He offered a light smile. "You know me too well, huh?" Sighing lightly, he ran a hand through his short hair. "There are just a few things I've been thinking about."

Lindsay nodded. "I see. May I ask what you've been thinking about?"

"As I'd ask you the same question, I guess the answer is yes," Danny replied. He paused and she suspected that once again, a certain topic was bothering him.

"Is it because of your parents?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "Yeah, partly. See, it's just...I thought of them a lot lately. I always do around the day when they've been arrested. It's painful. I wish I'd just stop thinking of them."

"Well, they are still your parents," Lindsay replied. "Even if you didn't see them for such a long time and weren't raised by them, you still remember your parents I guess?"

Danny nodded. She didn't miss how his hands clenched into fists. The conversation was affecting him a lot but she had already learnt that talking was better for both of them, even if it wasn't easy. "I do remember them," he said quietly. "Even good things. They rarely had time for us but still I remember some good things." He smiled painfully. "See, I don't get myself. They left us alone and I kinda had to raise myself. No one ever said 'I love you' to me. All that happened because they were criminals and still I...miss them somehow." He paused. "Do you think that's normal? That I wish I could have them back despite everything that happened? And even though it was their fault that I was passed from one foster family to the other?"

"Of course that's normal." Lindsay took one of his hands into hers, squeezing it lightly to show her support. "Like I said, they are still your parents. There will always be a connection between you and them, even though they are responsible for everything that happened. Even if you can't forget the way you grew up and even though you know things would have been so much easier if they had been more responsible, you still love them. It's normal, believe me."

"I'm not sure I want that though," Danny said. "I mean...why can't I let go of them? Possibly they didn't waste a single thought on me while being in there. If I show up, they might just think I switched sides. I doubt they give a damn on Louie and me. They never did, or they would have made sure not to end up in prison when we were still so damn young."

"But you can't know that for a fact," Lindsay replied softly. "Look, they're in prison for so many years now. Maybe they changed. Many people change when they're in prison. Maybe they understand now that they made a mistake. I'm sure they'd be proud of you." She paused. "Maybe it's really important that you meet them. It's bothering you so much. It won't get better if you try not to think of them. They're your parents, you won't ever just forget about them."

Danny was quiet, staring at the coffee table in front of him. Lindsay felt as if she could see the thoughts that were running through his mind. This was a rough topic for him and at first she had tried to avoid it. It seemed important for him to talk about it though. There were so many open questions he had and only his parents could answer them for him.

She understood though why he was hesitant. He had been rejected by people too many times in the past. If his own parents showed him no love and appreciation, that would hurt him more than not seeing them probably. There was also the chance that they would have changed their point of view and in this case, the visit would be helpful for him.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he told her then. "I really don't know. On one side I just want to be mad at them because I was passed from one foster family to another because of their actions. But then I just want them to tell me that they love me and are proud of me." He shook his head at himself. "I don't even make sense to myself anymore."

"But you do to me," she replied. "You want a family. Your family. What's wrong with that? You've been alone for all those years. You've never been told that someone loves you. You never had someone who was there for you, who you could talk to or who just held you in their arms." She had to pause for a moment as the lump in her throat made it impossible for her to continue. She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. But...see, of course you want a family. It doesn't matter what they did. You just want them back. That's perfectly normal. Do you think it would help you if you visited them? Maybe we could do it together if it makes it easier for you."

"You'd do that for me?" Danny asked.

Lindsay nodded. "Of course I'd do that for you." She squeezed his hand again. "I just want you to feel better. I see how much this is hurting you. If you really want to see them, you should do it. If not, don't do it of course. But if you decide to see your parents, I'll be there and help you with that. I promise."

He smiled lightly, nodding. "Thank you. I don't know when I wanna do that though. Maybe after our vacation, who knows." He hesitated. "It'll feel strange to meet your family."

"Why?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Danny shrugged, his face reddening a bit. "Don't get me wrong, but...I'm used to having happy families around me and I've never been a part of them. Those foster families never hid that I wasn't welcome. Like when they had dinner. They all sat at the table, talking and laughing and fully ignored I was even there. When I tried to say something they either stopped their conversations or gave me a look that shut me up again. I had to come up with activities if I didn't want to stay at home alone all day and I had to do them alone. I guess they were just trying to make up a reason so they could send me away again. Not sure why those families even wanted to be foster families if they couldn't even accept me. I didn't do anything."

He turned his head away for a moment but she had already spotted the rising tears. Lindsay could feel that Danny had more to say and so she stayed quiet. Instead she wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, offering some comfort.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to meeting your family," he told her then. "It's just...I'm used to sitting there and watching from the position of an outsider. It hurts to see how happy all those families are, no matter where you see them. All my friends always had happy families. I just felt like something was...missing, you know? I wouldn't say I was jealous. But I wondered what I did that I never had that at all. I fear how I'll feel when I'm there with your parents. I know how close you are to them. I know our friends have happy families here in New York as well who they can go to whenever they feel like it. It's just me who's sitting there, watching this and wishing I knew how it felt like to be part of something like that."

Lindsay couldn't help but look at Danny, unable to respond. She had fought against the lump in her throat, but now the first tears were running down her cheeks. He kept on saying bits about how much he had been suffering because of those foster families. Detailed descriptions of situations like the one he had just shared with her were rare. It was enough for her to have a quite clear image of what he had to go through in mind.

"You won't feel left out this time," she promised, trying to wipe hers and his tears away. "You're part of my family. You won't be left out. I know nothing can ever change the fact that you never really had a childhood and that you never experienced how it's like to know that your parents are there, taking care of you. The past can't be changed, but that doesn't mean you'll stay an outsider forever. You won't just sit there and watch another happy family that doesn't welcome you. You're part of this."

She wasn't trying to make him feel good; Lindsay was convinced by her own words. She had talked to her mother about Danny; not because she couldn't keep a secret but because she wanted her mother to know what kind of a person her boyfriend was and what he had to go through in the past. The story had broken Hannah Monroe's heart and she had offered to talk to Danny on the phone but Lindsay had believed that it was better to wait until they would meet in person.

It took Danny a couple of minutes before he looked up at Lindsay again. He nodded slowly. "I guess that'll be a first then," he said with a tiny smile.

She smiled back at him softly. "You'll love it at the farm, believe me." She placed a kiss onto his cheek. "So, do you think we can go downstairs now? I bet our friends are getting impatient already and I'm sure they believe we're doing something naughty up here."

To her relief, he laughed. "You might be right with that." He kissed her as well. "Thanks for listening to me again. It feels good to have someone who I can talk to about that."

"Anytime," she answered.

A few minutes later Danny and Lindsay were on their way to the van. She could feel his mood was getting better but things would be a lot easier when he met her family. She knew they would accept him the way he was, and this experience was important for him.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I think after being so slow with updating, I can already post a new chapter. :) I'm happy you're still reading the fic. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Special thanks to SM-FA-RaiNtrain, DeathyDaisy, afrozenheart412 and Dine89!

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They had been driving all day long. The plan of the friends was to arrive in Montana as soon as possible, even if this meant that they would spend the most hours of the day in their van. Unlike what they had imagined, driving for many hours had been fun.

Lindsay had to admit that when she had moved to New York, she hadn't had high expectations. Of course there had been the hope of a fresh start, but she had promised herself not to get those hopes too high.

Now she was together with Danny, she had wonderful friend. They were on their way to Montana and for hours, they had done nothing else but chatting and laughing. They were close, they understood each other without words, they shared the same humor. It just fitted. And for the first time, she felt like she belonged to something.

It was a whole new experience for Lindsay. There had been too many times in the past when she had felt like no one really cared for her. So many times, she had been bullied. It had started after Damien had broken up with her, after he had started to badmouth her and spread rumors everywhere. Suddenly everyone had given her those looks, had said things about her which she didn't want to think of anymore. She had felt like everyone except her three friends had turned their back on her. Even worse; they had made it their new mission to bully her whenever possible. There hadn't been a day on which she hadn't receive painful comments or had been hurt in other ways.

If she had expected things couldn't get worse, she had been wrong though. After a psychopatic man had decided to kill her friends, she had been all by herself completely. And if dealing with the trauma wasn't horrible enough, the bullying had increased as well.

Now, years later, Lindsay tried to avoid thinking about those months and years as good as possible. Still those experiences and the trauma which she still couldn't leave behind were torturing her with nightmares. She had become insecure, her self confidence had disappeared almost completely. She hadn't become shy. But she had closed her heart and when she had moved to New York, she had been determined to keep people as far away from her as possible.

Over a year later, she had changed her mind. The friendship to Jess had been the first step into the right direction. Lindsay had been surprised by how open and welcoming her friend had been. She wasn't used to someone who chatted to her whenever she showed up somewhere, who loved to spend time with her and was happy to be her roommate.

And despite what she had promised herself, Lindsay had started to trust in her. After a while she had talked about Damien and soon her new best friend knew her almost as good as a sister. Yet Lindsay hadn't told her about what had happened to her friends.

With Danny, this had been easier. With him, everything seemed to be easier. Lindsay was still amazed by how comfortable she felt around him. After Damien, she had been determined to not get involved with a man for a very long time. Yet she had fallen in love with Danny almost right after she had met him for the first time.

Then they had gotten together, she had told him about Damien and soon even about her friends. But even though she was amazed by her own behaviour, Lindsay wasn't surprised. Danny had earned her trust. Instead of pushing her, he had allowed her to set the pace of their relationship. Even though he was used to women who did everything he wanted whenever he wanted it, he had waited, he had shown to her that he really cared for her.

With this behaviour, he had made clear that he was worth her trust. And apart from that, Danny understood Lindsay. She knew he had his own trusting issues, for a good reason. It still pained her to imagine that her boyfriend had been pushed from one foster family to the next, never receiving the love he deserved. It had hurt her even more when she had found out that she had been the first one who had told him that she loved him.

They had a lot in common, both of them knew they could fully rely on each other. She had been determined not to let anyone into her heart, but now she knew that there was nothing wrong with opening her heart to someone else.

It was getting evening as the friends arrived at a small motel near the highway. A long time ago, they had left busy cities behind. They had decided not to stay at a hotel in one of them; paying for gas was expensive enough. So the motel had been chosen.

"I really can't wait to lie down in a proper bed," Jess sighed as she half pushed, half pulled one of her bags out of the van. "I so won't walk a single step again today."

Don raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend. "Walk? You have been sitting all the time. In fact you've not even been driving."

"Because you didn't let me," Jess answered.

"Because you're a woman," he teased her back.

She glared at him playfully. "You didn't just dare to say that, right? Well, yeah, I am a woman indeed and that makes me able to do a lot of things which I know you enjoy. But if you think me being a woman makes it impossible for me to drive, then I guess I suddenly will forget how to do all those other things as well."

Don rolled his eyes. "Funny, really." He watched how she made her way up to their room. "You were joking, right?"

Shrugging, Jess tried her best not to grin. "No idea?" She unlocked the door.

Groaning, Don hurried after her. "Oh come on, you know I was joking!"

Danny, who had watched the whole scene, shook his head in amusement. "Those two. They are perfect at driving each other crazy. But it's fun, isn't it?" He turned around to Lindsay, just to realise she hadn't heard a single word that had been spoken. Instead she had climbed onto the hood of the van and was staring at some random point in the distance.

With a soft smile, he joined her, carefully not to startle her. It wasn't the first time that he witnessed how she was miles away with her thoughts. A few times, he had accidentally startled her and now he was trying his best to avoid doing that.

Like so many times before, she was just sitting there, knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. She had a serious expression and he wished he could read her mind.

"Is everything alright?" he asked softly.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lindsay looked at Danny in confusion for a moment, before she blushed lightly as she realised he had caught her while being so far away with her thoughts. "Oh yes, sure. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"May I ask about what?" Danny wanted to know.

Lindsay smiled softly. "Yes, of course. It wasn't anything special. I was just thinking that it feels odd to go back to Montana. I'm still not sure what to think about it."

He raised an eyebrow lightly at her words. He hadn't missed the tone in her voice. "I thought you were looking forward to it."

She sighed lightly. "I am. I'm really looking forward to meeting my parents and brothers. I'm also looking forward to showing you around Bozeman and the landscape. But...well, there are also a lot of things I'm not looking forward to. There's still Damien. There are all those people who still keep on giving me odd looks. And there's the diner. You know."

"I understand." Danny nodded. He could imagine that despite what she was looking forward to, there were things she wouldn't enjoy. He couldn't help the thought that he wanted to meet Damien. He wanted to tell this man off for what he had done. And even more he wanted to show him what a huge mistake he had made. But he also knew that creating drama would only make the situation worse.

"I know how you're feeling," he said. "I know my situation is different, but I also have my places which I'm avoiding because they'd bring back too many painful memories. For example I stay away from all those places where my former foster parents live. Or our old house. It brings back all the feelings."

Looking up at him, she nodded in full agreement. "That's exactly what I mean. But I don't want those memories to ruin this trip for me."

"Well, then just keep in mind; even if those people are in town, who cares for them?" Moving closer, Danny wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Immediately, Lindsay snuggled into him. He loved when she did that; this kind of closeness was still so new to him and it made him proud that she trusted in him so much.

"I know I shouldn't care for them," she answered. "I know I should ignore them. But see...I just don't want to see those looks anymore. You know, when people act as if you're the worst, disgusting person they have ever seen."

"That's kinda how they treat you when your parents are dealers," he couldn't help but say.

"And how did you deal with that? With those looks?" Lindsay asked, looking up at him.

Danny shrugged. "In a wrong way. I started to lie about it. You and Don are the only ones who know who my parents really are. But guess what? I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I mean, who are people to judge us? We didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault that my parents are criminals. And it's not your fault that Damien badmouthed you. And what happened to your friends isn't your fault either. They don't have a right to give us those looks."

"I know, you're right," she answered. "I shouldn't allow them to make me feel bad."

"Exactly," he agreed. "And guess what? They are idiots. I mean, who are they to judge? Look at you. Look at who you are despite everything they did to you. You moved to New York, you're studying at NYU, you have a boyfriend and friends who really love you. Who love you the way you are. If one of those guys show up, I'll show them what happens when someone treats the woman I love like that."

Gazing down at her, he noticed how she smiled. "The woman you love. You have no idea how wonderful that sounds," she said.

"I guess I do," he answered, placing a soft kiss into her hair. "I mean it. Be proud of yourself. Don't let them ruin the fun. I know how excited you are to visit your family again and I really want to meet them as well. It'll be great to be in the country. I mean, I haven't even been close to a farm yet. It'll be wonderful to be there, and you'll stay at the farm not only with your parents but also with me and our friends. No idiots should make you feel uncomfortable."

She chuckled. "I think I got it. You're cute, you know that? You know how to convince me. How to talk some sense into me."

He smiled back at her. "Yeah, you and I are both great at that."

Danny wanted to say more, but his instinct told him that Lindsay wanted to say something. So he stayed quiet and waited and indeed she looked up at him again.

"I think maybe I should stop running away. I mean, it's not working," she said. "I should tell our friends about that stuff. And I shouldn't try to pretend as if nothing happens when we arrive. I should face it. If I meet one of those people, or even Damien, I shouldn't run away. I should show them that they have no power over me anymore. That they can't bother me."

He nodded, smiling proudly. "That's a fantastic plan." And then he hesitated. Lindsay's plan was great and Danny agreed that running away in front of problems didn't work. Sooner or later they came back to bother them. She had to face them, and he knew the same counted for him.

"When we're back in New York, maybe I should do that as well," he said then. When she looked at him in surprise, he explained, "I still don't know how I'm supposed to do that and I'm getting nervous when I'm just thinking of it. But maybe I should finally visit my parents. Maybe I should finally talk to them."

"You think you want to do that?" Lindsay asked. "You were unsure when we talked about it for the last time. Don't make a decision yet if that pressures you."

"Maybe pressure is what I need," Danny answered. "I didn't see them since they got arrested. They know nothing about me. And in fact I know nothing about them either. This is a difficult step, but maybe I should just do it, no matter how hard it is." He smiled. "Maybe we could make an agreement. You'll face those idiots and stop pretending those things didn't happen and I'll visit my parents. I mean, we don't have to run to everyone and tell them about our problems. But I guess those are good steps into the right direction. The problems keep on coming back. You keep on thinking what Damien did and what happedn after that. And I keep on thinking about my parents."

"That's true." She nodded throughtfully. She needed a moment, then she looked at him again and a smile lit her face. "Okay, we'll do it. Just like you said."

"Fantastic." Smiling as well, Danny pulled her closer. "And now we'll just enjoy this trip, okay?"

Nodding, Lindsay wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into him. "Sounds like a great plan."

And with that, Danny and Lindsay enjoyed the view for a couple of moments before they headed to their own motel room. Both of them knew that facing a problem wasn't easy. Both also knew it was important, and they had each other for support.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here's a new chapter for you! Thanks for reading the fic! Thanks also for the lovely reviews! Special thanks to rhymenocerous, Dine89, afrozenheart412 and DeathDaisy!**

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**"Is there a special reason why we couldn't just have breakfast in our bedroom?" Danny asked. "We could have even had breakfast in bed. Imagine, just lying there, doing nothing."

"I think enjoying some fresh air is a lot better than the air in a motel room," Lindsay answered.

"Fresh air?" Danny raised his eyebrows as he and Lindsay were walking over to the small group of tables and chairs near the motel. "You do know we're close to a highway? I'm not sure this can be considered as fresh air."

Lindsay chuckled. "True. Then you'll surely love it in Montana if this is bothering you. Because in Montana, you really have fresh air. Very fresh air."

"Yeah, you know, it smells like cows and crap and stuff like that," Don said, making a disgusted face. "I think that's one thing I won't like so much about the countryside."

Jess rolled her eyes at him. "Will you stop complaining? How old are you? Plus you grew up in one of the biggest cities in the world. You should be used to disgusting smells." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "And now behave. You and your best friend could actually go and get us some food. Because as there's a shop down the road over there, I guess we should buy something instead of using too much of our good bread."

Don sighed playfully. "Why do we have to go and buy it?"

"Because you're men. Remember, women can't even drive cars." Jess winked at him.

"You won't ever forgive me because I said that, right?" Don asked back. He smirked at his girlfriend. "Alright, but if we buy the food, we'll pick what we'll have."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Danny agreed. Embracing Lindsay, who had sat down on one of the tables, he kissed her gently. "Any special wishes?"

"As long as you don't buy pizza for breakfast, I'm fine," Lindsay answered with a wink. "I trust you. Just pick something nice."

"Will do," Danny answered, kissing her again. Lindsay watched how he and Don made their way down the small, dirty road that led to a tiny shop not far away from the motel. Apart from the motel and this shop, there seemed to be nothing else out there. Even though they were only a day away from New York, they seemed to have found one of those lonely places where no one would stop unless they had to take a break. She had to admit she enjoyed it though. Even though the trucks and cars that occasionally passed the motel were loud and smelly, the place wasn't as bad as she had imagined when she had seen it on the map.

Still watching Danny, a soft smile lit Lindsay's face. After heading into their room the evening before, they had continued talking for a while. It was still new to Lindsay that she could trust in a man like that. And that he understood her so well. They had so much in common. Both of them had problems to deal with, yet they knew exactly how to be there for each other.

She was interrupted in her thoughts as Jess joined her on the table, releasing a sigh. "I guess today it's our turn to drive," she said.

Lindsay chuckled. "If Don lets us. Do you still punish him for his comment?"

Jess grinned. "Of course I do. He won't get laid for a few days." She laughed. "Or at least that's what he believes. Men are crazy."

"They are," Lindsay agreed. She felt how Jess watched her and as she looked up, she noticed an expression in her friend's eyes that made her nervous a bit. She knew this look. Her friend had a serious topic in mind. "Is something wrong?"

Jess shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just wondering about something."

"About what? If I may ask." Lindsay could feel her friend had something in mind and somehow she couldn't help the feeling that it had to do with her.

Jess hesitated a moment. "I'm just wondering if there's something...I don't know how to explain it. I just...actually it's none of my business."

Lindsay raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Since when are you rambling? You never do that." She offered an encouraging smile. "What happened?"

"That's actually what I'm wondering about," Jess answered. "I hope you won't get offended and that you won't get angry if I just ask it. But...well, I'm wondering if something else apart from the bullying and Damien happened to you. I don't know why I'm thinking that. It's just a feeling, and like I said, it's none of my business. It's just...I was thinking about it. I saw you two sitting outside yesterday and I had the feeling that this talk was about more than just Damien. I also have the feeling there's something that's bothering your boyfriend, but I guess as Don is his best friend, he has to take care of him. I just...well, I want you to know that if you need your best friend, I'm here. But there's no pressure."

Lindsay didn't know what she was surprised about the most; that Jess was feeling that something else was bothering her or that her friend was offering so much support. She was slowly getting used to all the love Danny was giving her. But still, even though she and Jess were close like sisters, she was amazed by how strong their friendship actually was. And so, replying to her friend was surprisingly easy.

"There's indeed something else." Lindsay hesitated. "I'm sorry I didn't talk about it yet. It's just...it hurts too much and I just wanted to stop thinking about it. It came out while Danny and I were talking about something. But in fact I just wanted to keep it to myself and ignore it. See...you know I came to New York for a fresh start. This...experience was one reason for that." She stopped again. Like always when she allowed the memories of that one evening to return into her awareness, she felt a strong lump rising in her throat. Her heart was beating faster and she started to shiver lightly.

"You don't have to tell me if it's so painful," Jess said softly. "It's entirely up to you. You know I'll listen and be there for you. But I won't push you, okay?"

"I know." Lindsay offered a grateful smile. "And I'm glad you want to do that for me. I...was planning on telling you. I'm just not good at such things."

"If you mean that you're afraid to start crying, don't worry about that," Jess replied. "A real friend should be able to see her best friend in every possible situation. You don't have to be embarrassed because of that."

Lindsay nodded. Staring down at her hands that were resting in her lab, she prepared what she wanted to say. Then she took a deep breath and decided just to start.

"Back then when Damien started to spread all those rumors about me and when everyone turned their back on me, I still had three wonderful friends," she explained. "They were there for me and didn't give me those looks, didn't make mean comments, stole my stuff or ruined it or did whatever else the others did. They were there and showed that they were my friends. They were great. I knew I could always count on them. I knew they would support me, even if everyone else at highschool disliked me. They were such amazing friends. Until..."

Her voice trailed off. No matter how many times Lindsay told this story, it didn't get easier. She forced herself not to look up at Jess, but she could feel that her friend was watching her closely.

"What happened to them?" she asked quietly.

Lindsay sighed. But even this deep sigh couldn't relieve the lump in her throat. Still she continued. "We went to our favourite diner one night. I...well, I don't really want to tell you the details right now. Maybe later, but not now. It's just that...they got killed, by some psycho. I was in another room when he came in and shot them all. Thanks to the fact I was hiding in there, he didn't see me. I...I saw him. I saw how he stood there in the diner, covered in my friends' blood. And when he had left again...I found them." A sob escaped her as the first tears started to roll, but still she kept on talking. "Everyone disliked me, except them. They were such wonderful friends. And then some monster decided to murder them, for absolutely no reason. I guess I don't have to tell you that after that, the bullying got even worse. It was...it was just..."

She had tried her best, but at this point, her voice didn't cooperate anymore. It trailed off into desperate sobbing. Even though it had happened years ago, it was still hurting so much. She felt how Jess moved closer, how she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It's all good. I'm here," she said softly, soothingly running her hands up and down Lindsay's back. It took a couple of minutes until the loving gestures started to work, and slowly, ever so slowly, Lindsay calmed down again. Her sobbing got quieter and quieter until it stopped again. And even then, after such an intense break down, she realised in surprise that she didn't feel any embarrassment at all.

"Are you better?" Jess asked carefully, releasing her from her tight embrace so they could face each other. Gently, she wiped a few tears away, brushing her fingers over her friend's cheeks in a loving gesture. "Are you okay?"

Lindsay nodded. "It's good, no worries. I always react like that." She tried to easy the tension with a smile, but she knew it didn't work. Looking up at Jess, she didn't miss the pain in her best friend's eyes.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Jess said with own tears in her eyes. "That's so horrible, I don't even know what to say. But I guess the last thing you want now is me telling you how horrible it was what you had to go through." Once again she embraced Lindsay. "Just so you know, I'm here. I always am. I'm not like those people and I'll stay your friend. See...I always wanted a sister and you are a sister for me. You mean so much to me, and one thing you can be certain of. I'm not like those idiots. I'm your best friend and I'll stay your best friend. I promise."

Lindsay couldn't help but smile at her best friend's words. Jess had said exactly what she had needed to hear. She knew she would be there for her. She knew this friendship was strong and precious. Danny had been right. There was no reason to hide anything. Because those who really loved her wouldn't change their mind about her. They loved her the way she was.

* * *

"You think the girls will like what we picked?" Don asked, throwing a suspicious glance at the sandwiches.

Danny chuckled. "Of course. You can never be wrong with sandwiches." He grabbed one of the two bags that were now filled with food and drinks. Once again he caught Don while glancing at him, with a knowing expression that confused him a bit. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Don answered. "I just noticed that you seem quite relaxed today. Is there a special reason for that?"

Danny smiled. "Well, we're on vacaction, right? No studying, no stress. How can I not be relaxed?"

"You know I meant something else," Don replied. "What happened?"

Danny knew he could continue this game, but he didn't feel like it. His friend was a good listener and a great supporter. Although Danny was no talker and had a hard time with trusting, Don had managed to earn his trust, just like Lindsay. And just like his girlfriend, he was the only one who knew about Danny's parents.

"I guess I'll visit them when we're back in New York," he answered.

Don looked at him in surprise. "What, your parents? In jail?"

Danny nodded. "You think it's a stupid idea?"

Don shook his head. "No, not at all. I always thought you should visit them. Not because of them but I guess it'd be good for you. Not easy of course, but good. I know you have so many questions and I think they should answer them. Plus I think you should show them what a great guy you are. I mean, you're a fantastic baseball player, you're studying at NYU, you have great friends and a wonderful girlfriend. Everyone who has that can be proud of themselves, and you even more because you didn't have any support. Show them what a great, strong guy you are. And get your answers."

Danny smiled. "Yeah, I think I should do that."

"And how come you suddenly changed your mind?" Don wanted to know.

"Lindsay and I agreed that if she does something which isn't easy either, I will visit my parents. I think it's a good reason for me to actually do it," Danny answered.

Don nodded. "I always knew this relationship would be good for you. She makes you happy, she gives you self confidence. Perfect."

"Yeah, it's indeed perfect." Danny nodded and his smile widened. He glanced over to the table where his girlfriend was awaiting him already, waving as she saw him. "Let's hurry, I'm hungry."

"Oh me, too. Me, too," Don answered, sighing playfully.

Danny laughed in response. He agreed with Don. The relationship was good for him. For the both of them. He knew he and Lindsay had a special connection. He also knew he could trust in his friends. And with their support, he would face his parents and get answers for his questions.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks so much for your lovely feedback and for supporting this fic! I know what to write next now, so I will try to write more and hopefully open more often! Thanks for reading as well! Special thanks to DeathDaisy, Dine89, afrozenheart412 and Stampiej!**

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The road trip was as nice as the friends had expected. They took turns with driving, so everyone got the chance to relax and enjoy the constantly changing landscape. There was a lot they got to see; bigger cities, small towns, flat landscape and forests. It was a nice trip, and indeed all of them got the feeling it was bringing them closer and closer together.

At first, they had tried to make sure to spend the nights at hotels, motels or others places where they could rent a room. But the longer they were driving, the less they felt the urge to look for a new place every evening. So they had started to just park their van at fitting parking lots and had slept inside of it.

It was yet another evening. The sun had disappeared already and as they parked their car on a large parking lot near a camp area, all of them were glad that they could get out of the vehicle.

"As much as I love this trip, I can't sit any longer," Jess groaned, stretching her arms. She chuckled as Don wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss onto her shoulder. "What, are you in the mood for some cuddling?"

Don smirked against her skin. "Depends on what 'cuddling' means to you."

"Surely not what you have in mind," Jess answered, playfully smacking his arm before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "But I'm sure we'll get our chance for that sooner or later."

"I hope so," Don answered with a wink. Glancing over to the car, he smiled. "I'm so glad they're finally together."

Glancing over to Danny and Lindsay as well, his girlfriend raised her eyebrows. "You do know they're together for quite a while by now?"

"Yeah, but it took them long enough. We were a lot faster with that." Don tightened his arms around her waist. "I'm glad about that. I'm glad we were so open and just got together. Looks like my Mom was right when she said that I'd fall in love the moment I'd meet the perfect woman. No surprise she loved you right from the start."

"You're sweet, you know that?" Jess replied, flattered by his words. "I'm glad we got together as well. And look, you have to be perfect for me, because none of my brothers disliked you."

Don chuckled. "I'm glad to know that." He glanced at their friends again. "And luckily they made this step as well. I know it's not easy for them to trust in others, especially not when it comes to feelings like love. But it's also a good thing. They understand each other."

"Yeah, that they do," Jess agreed. "It's true, earning their trust isn't easy. Even more worth it is when you make it happen."

"Definitely," Don agreed.

Meanwhile Lindsay had managed to free her rucksack out of the back of the car. Looking up, she found Danny watching her with an amused smirk.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered. "It's just cute how you fought with that rucksack. I already waited for the moment when you'd scream, stomp your feet and throw it away."

Raising her eyes at him, she replied, "You know, you could've just helped me. If you were a gentleman."

Danny laughed. "I am a gentleman, that's why I let you do it by yourself. I thought some moving around would be good for you after sitting for so many hours."

"You're so kind," Lindsay replied sarcastically. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest briefly. As he embraced her, a smile lit her face. She didn't know what exactly it was, but whenever they embraced each other, it had a refreshing effect on them. It seemed as if some special energy was flowing between them.

"Are you alright?" he wanted to know then.

Nodding, she pulled back so she could look up at him. "Yes, I am. I'm also not that worried about getting back to Montana anymore. I mean, I think about it all anyway, no matter where I am. And I have no reason to run away in front of anyone."

"My words," Danny answered.

"Yep, mine as well," Don said.

Turning around, Danny shook his head at his friend playfully. "Didn't your mother teach you that it's rude to approach people quietly like that."

Don grinned. "Well, not my fault you're jealous that I'm so sneaky." He sighed deeply. "Jess said it's our turn to change our car into a nice bed because our girls drove for the most of the time today."

"And what are you supposed to do?" Danny wanted to know, giving his girlfriend a questioning look.

"Linds and I will have a nice good night walk," Jess answered for her friend, linking her arm with her.

Danny raised his eyebrows. "All by yourself? Don't get too far away."

"Aw, how cute of him," Jess teased with a friendly wink. "Alright, guys, be busy. We'll be back in a bit."

With that, she pulled Lindsay with her. Amused, she followed Jess. She loved to spend some time with her best friend. Lindsay hadn't expected she would be able to find a new best friend who would mean so much to her, who would be so trustworthy, like a sister. It felt good to have someone like her around, especially while she had been so hesitant with approaching Danny.

But also sharing the stories of her past with Jess had felt good. Never before, Lindsay had dared to open up to another person apart from family members and Danny like that. She had been shy and hesitant at first, not willing to put too much pressure on her best friend with those stories. But now she knew that knowing Lindsay trusted in her meant more to Jess than anything else.

"How are you feeling today?" Jess asked then.

Interrupted in her thoughts, Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty fine." She paused. It never failed to amaze her what a close connection she had to her friend by now. She could feel that Jess was glad to hear she was feeling better. She could also feel that her friend had something she wanted to talk about as well.

"Is something wrong?" she wanted to know.

When Jess didn't answer right away, she knew she had been right with her instinct. She didn't ask more though; her friend would talk if she wanted to. And she didn't have to wait long.

"It's nothing, really," Jess started to explain. "But see...I have the feeling this trip brings out a lot of stuff."

"For example?" Lindsay wanted to know.

Jess shrugged. It took her another few moments before she continued. "It's just that I'm happy to have a friend like you. A real friend I mean. It's pretty much the first time I have a friend who means so much to me." She paused again.

"May I ask if there are reasons why I'm your first real best friend?" Lindsay asked carefully.

Jess nodded. "I don't know. I think I just didn't really fit in. See, I grew up in a place where it wasn't easy to make new friends. We lived in an apartment building for most of the time, and the next playground was pretty far away. So I spent the most of my time together with my brothers. I kinda grew up like a boy. I was interested in stuff boys liked. I didn't like to go dancing as a kid. I rather wanted to play baseball. It's really odd for me to be a cheerleader, to tell you the truth, but well...I thought maybe it'd be a good way to meet other women and friends. But you and I both know that none of those girls are really interested in our friendship. Anyway, my brothers and I were pretty close, but when I went to school, they were in different classes than me of course. I got along with the boys in my school quite well, and I could play ball with the other kids during the breaks. But the girls...I think they never really liked me."

Listening to her friend, Lindsay could feel a lump rising in her throat. If someone knew how it felt like not to fit in, it was her. "They missed the chance to have a wonderful and loyal friend," she said.

Jess smiled lightly, but the smile didn't hide the sad expression in her eyes. "That's sweet of you. I also don't want to say I had a bad time at school. I just often wondered why I couldn't have a best friend. Of course I loved spending time with my brothers and I also loved playing ball with the other boys and being a friend for them. But when I saw how the other girls had their best friends and could tell them all their secrets, I got sad. I wanted that as well. I wanted to have this one best friend who I could tell everything, who would understand me and listen to me, no matter what I'd have to say."

Lindsay offered a comforting smile. "I can understand. But now you have such a friend, and no one will change that. You'll always have me as your best friend, and you can tell me everything. No matter what it is."

Once again linking her arm with Lindsay's, Jess nodded. "And I'm grateful for that."

"You should be proud of yourself," Lindsay told her. "You're strong, self confident, you're such a good and loyal friend. I don't get why the girls back then acted like that. But then again we know how often people sort others out because they're different."

"Even better it is you and I are so alike." Jess offered a true smile. "Thank you, I'm glad to have you, really. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're trusting in me so much that you told me about your ex and about your past. No one ever did that with me." She chuckled. "We're pretty sappy, aren't we?"

"Yep, but it makes our friendship so special," Lindsay answered with a wink.

She was glad that Jess had been so open to her. Indeed the road trip was bringing a lot of hidden feelings to the surface. Lindsay could imagine her friend hadn't had an easy time at school, just like her and Danny. They had struggled with the others, for different reasons. But one fact was for sure; now they had found each other, and their friendship and love was stronger than anything else.

* * *

Danny had already lain down in what would be his bed for the night as Lindsay joined him in the car as well. He couldn't help but smile relieved as she entered the van and crawled over to him. Of course he knew she was old enough to take care of herself, especially as she had been out with her best friend. But still he was glad that she was back.

"Did you have a nice walk?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yep. Jess said they'll come inside as well soon, she and Don just wanted to do something."

"Something?" Danny raised his eyebrows. "I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."

Lindsay laughed. "You and your naughty mind." She pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her only in her bra.

Danny grinned. "Me and my naughty mind? How am I supposed not to have naughty thoughts with such a sexy woman in front of me." He chuckled as she blushed immediately.

"Stop that," Lindsay told him.

"Why?" he asked, watching her closely as she got dressed again. He loved to tease her, and he knew she understood that he was just making fun. As much as he was longing for her, he wouldn't talk her into doing anything while being around their friends all the time. He had no problem with being patient; the start of their relationship had taught him that.

"Because you're supposed to behave," she told him with a smirk. "Remember, you'll meet my parents and my brothers soon."

Danny cringed playfully. "I bet they'll dislike a guy like me." He could feel himself blushing as he realised that his answer had sounded a lot more serious than he had intended. As she gave him a questioning look, he knew she hadn't missed that.

"You don't still think they won't like you, right?" Lindsay wanted to know. "My family is looking forward to all of us visiting them, and the most they're looking forward to meeting you. You're part of this family already."

"How can I be part of your family already when your family doesn't even know me yet?" he asked.

Sighing lightly, she lay down next to him, snuggling against his side. "Because they don't have to meet you first to know you're the perfect man for me. They trust in me and my taste. I was together with an asshole. I'm sure I'd realise when another man was bad for me. But you are definitely not. You're such a wonderful man, so full of love, so sweet and loyal. I know they'll love you." She placed a kiss onto his cheek. "Relax, okay? You'll see I'm right." With a wink, she added, "I always am right."

Laughing, he kissed her back. "You're sweet, you know that?"

"Just like you," she answered.

This time he didn't contradict. Danny knew Lindsay was right; her family wouldn't have a problem with him. They would accept him the way he was; Don's family had done the same. And while he wrapped the blanket a little tighter around himself and his girlfriend, feeling how she snuggled even more into him, a smile lit his face as he got excited.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello everyone! Are you in the mood for some fluff? Some romance and friendship? This chapter will have both in it. And in future chapters, there will be some more hotness as well. ;) Thanks to everyone who's still reading and reviewing this fic! Reviews are very appreciated; I love to hear from you guys! Special thanks to Dine89, DeathDaisy, afrozenheart412 and lauralynn87!**

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With every day, the friends got closer and closer to their goal. As they had finally reached Montana, all of them had to admit that their excitement was constantly increasing. They all loved this road trip, but as much as they loved spending so much time with each other, they were glad when they didn't have to sit in their van anymore.

It was early in the morning of the day when they were supposed to arrive in Bozeman. Around an hour ago, the four friends had left the camp area where they had spent the night. The sun was just about to rise somewhere in the distance between the tall mountains. It was a stunning view.

Even Danny had to admit that. It was the first time that he visited a place outside of New York. He had never been to Montana before, and he hadn't know what was expecting him. Lindsay had shared a lot of stories with him, had shown him a lot of photos. But photos couldn't reach reality.

Indeed the countryside of Montana was even more beautiful than what he had seen on this pictures. There was something fascinating about those large fields, the thick forests and those tall mountains. Danny was a city boy, but he could understand why Lindsay loved this place so much.

Montana. After so many days of driving, they had finally arrived. Only a few more hours and he would meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. Tightening his hands around the steering wheel, Danny tried not to get distracted. He was looking forward to this meeting. But he couldn't deny that he was still scared of it as well.

He would meet the parents of the woman he loved. For Danny, that was a first. Not only was Lindsay the first woman he loved, and the first woman who really loved him back. It was also his first time that he would visit the parents of a girlfriend, and he had no idea what was expecting them.

Especially as they knew about his parents. This fact alone made Danny cringe. Of course Lindsay had told him that her parents wouldn't have a problem with him. Of course she had told him that they could accept him as part of their family.

But was that really what was going to happen? Would the Monroes like him? Danny didn't know. Of course he knew he was supposed to believe in himself; after all there was nothing wrong with him. He could be proud of himself; he was studying, he was a successful baseball player. There was no reason for him to be shy.

Old experiences couldn't just be wiped away though. Danny knew he had to get over his feelings sooner or later, but he also knew that this possibly wouldn't ever happen. He had been pushed from one foster family to the next. He had tried his best to be liked by his foster parents. He had tried to make them proud. Yet they hadn't been willing to take care of him. Of course with the time he had wondered if he was maybe the problem.

This feeling had become a strong part of his personality. For Danny, it was hard not to wonder if people could have a problem with him, especially when they found out about his parents; so far the Flacks had been the only ones who had accepted him the way he was.

And apart from that, he was still nervous because of being around another family for such a long time. Danny didn't doubt that Lindsay would try her best to make him feel like a part of her family, and he also believed her that her mother would be friendly to him also. But he couldn't know for sure what her other family members would say.

He also had no idea how he would feel like himself. Danny couldn't deny he felt ashamed at the thought of not knowing how it felt like to be part of a family, even though he knew this wasn't his fault in any way. Still this didn't change that he had always felt like an outsider, had never felt like he belonged anywhere. Don was a good friend and had tried to make him feel welcome around his family.

But with Lindsay's family, things would be different. She was his girlfriend, he loved her. Even though he wasn't anywhere near being able to admit it, but he could even see them getting married one day. This family wasn't just the family of a good friend. He wanted to be liked by them, wanted to have a good connection to them. But in fact Danny didn't even know how such a good connection felt like. He had no idea what was expecting him.

"You know, you're thinking way too much," Don said all of the sudden, interrupting Danny in his thoughts. Blushing lightly, he threw a quick glance into the rare-view-mirror, glad to see that Lindsay and Jess were deep asleep.

"Why?" he asked in response.

"Hello?" Don shook his head. "I know you for quite a while by now, Danny. I know when you're deep in your thoughts. Doesn't seem like those were too happy thoughts though. What's up?"

Danny stared out of the front window for a couple of moments, thinking about what to answer. He couldn't deny that he found it difficult to share his thoughts with others. But Don had often proved that he was a good listener.

"I don't know, I'm just a bit nervous I guess," he said then.

Don nodded. "I know what I mean. When I met Jess's family for the first time, I was pretty nervous as well." Danny could feel how his friend studied him. "But it's not just the normal concern you have when you meet your girl's family for the first time, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Danny replied, still staring straight out of the window so he didn't have to look at Don.

"You know what I mean," his best friend answered. "I'm talking about what's always bothering you. When you visited me for the first time, you were so scared that you didn't manage to say a single word for a whole hour."

"I was a kid back then," Danny said.

Don shrugged. "So what? The feelings still seem to be there." He sighed. "Where's the problem, huh? From what you told me, Lindsay's family already knows about your parents. Still they want us to come, so do you seriously think they'll have a problem with us?"

It was Danny's turn to shrug. "Don't you think they just want to be polite? It's not nice to invite someone and then change your mind."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Don answered. "They could always say that they don't have time for us or something like that. Believe me, if they thought you were as bad as your parents, they would come up with an excuse. You still remember all this shit your foster families came up with."

Danny only nodded in response. Of course he could still remember all those excuses his foster parents had come with; all of them had made up different ones. But even back then, he had already felt that all of them had been lying. Too many conversations between those foster parents he had overheard. Too many times people had pointed their fingers at him.

"So you think it's stupid of me to be scared?" he wanted to know.

"I wouldn't say stupid because you aren't stupid," Don said. "But yeah, there's no reason to worry like that. This is your girlfriend here and she loves you. Look at this family, they had to go through a lot in the past. Yet you are obviously someone who was able to win their daughter's trust and who makes her happy. How could they not like you? They'll be glad that she met you, because you're good for her. Who the hell cares for your parents? They are criminals, fine. But you're not like them. You can't always say 'the parents are like that, so the kids have to become the same way'. That's pretty narrow minded. All of us have our free will, and you're definitely not like them."

Danny couldn't help but smirk lightly at Don's words. "I already told you that you could just start a career as a therapist as well, right?"

Don chuckled. "Hey, don't you make fun of me. Just do me a favour. Relax a bit. You're a good guy and everyone who's not stupid knows that."

Danny nodded again. Glancing back into the rare-view-mirror, he smiled at the sight of his sleeping girlfriend. Lindsay really trusted in him. For someone like her, that meant a lot. Her parents would see it like that as well.

* * *

When Lindsay woke up, she didn't know how long she had slept. She remember they had gotten into the car after waking up in the morning and having breakfast together and that Danny wanted to drive. Somewhere along the line, she must have fallen asleep again.

Blinking lightly, she tried to adjust to the bright sunshine that was greeting her. She sighed lightly as she was greeted by an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Obviously sleeping in a car and spending so many days in it wasn't nice for her stomach; she felt slightly sick.

But a few deep breaths, and she was slowly feeling better. Sitting up straight again, she needed a moment to find her way back to the present. No matter how much she had slept, she still felt sleepy.

"Look who woke up," Danny said in his usual teasing voice.

Yawning lightly, Lindsay offered a light smile. "Are you having fun with driving or do you want me to take over?"

"I doubt he'll let you," Jess answered. She had woken up again as well. "Don said they want your parents to think they're gentlemen. So they'll drive and we're supposed to relax."

"Sounds good to me," she replied, yawning once again. Lindsay turned her attention to the window on her side of the car. One glance outside, and she was caught by the view in front of her. She must have slept for longer than she had expected; their surroundings were so familiar to her.

"Oh, we've arrived in Bozeman by the way," Don said.

But she hadn't needed this confirmation. One look, and it felt as if she had been in this area just a few days ago. The landscape was as beautiful as ever, and just as familiar as she had kept it in mind. The city hadn't changed at all.

Lindsay could still remember how she had headed to the airport back then, knowing that New York was awaiting her. She had been so nervous, not knowing what to expect from this big city. She had wondered when she would come back, and what she would have experienced by that time.

Now she was indeed back, together with her friends and her boyfriend. Lindsay had hoped that this fresh start would be good for her. She hadn't expected how happy it would really make her. Back then, she had known that she needed this fresh start. How much she really needed it she had only found out when she had actually arrived in New York.

Of course not everything was perfect, but she hadn't done this step with such an expectation. She had wanted to do something else, something that was different to what she was used to. She hadn't expected that New York would wipe away all those memories that were still bothering her sometimes. She had just hoped that this experience would help her to get stronger.

It had indeed worked. She had gotten stronger, and she had learnt to trust again. She had found a friend who was like a sister for her, and she had dared to start a relationship again. This fresh start had been successful.

Lindsay could still remember how she had told Danny that she was nervous to come back home. She was afraid of what was awaiting her, of what she would feel when she was back. Now that she was indeed in Montana again and so close to the farm, she didn't feel nervous anymore. The excitement was so much stronger.

"I think we're almost there," Danny said then.

Glancing through the front window as well, Lindsay smiled. "Yes! That's the farm over there. That's our farm."

All of them had spotted the large house in the distance by now. All of them were excited. Lindsay knew they would have a great time at the farm. She knew Danny would feel welcome. And she knew Don and Jess would have fun as well. They had arrived, and she was eagerly looking forward to the moment she would see all those familiar faces again.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: And here's a new chapter for you guys! I thought it'd be nice to show the a little bit of Hannah and Darren Monroe already. And a little flirting for Danny and Lindsay is nice as well I think. :) Please, like always, let me know what you think! I appreciate your feedback! Thanks to everyone who's still reading! Special thanks to DeathDaisy, Dine89, afrozenheart412 and Hannah554!**

* * *

Meeting her family again after such a long time had been as emotional as Lindsay had expected. Hannah and Darren Monroe had been awaiting them arrivals already, had welcomed them happily and greeted everyone with embraces.

Of course Lindsay hadn't missed Danny's reaction to her parents. She had seen the hesitation in his eyes, the insecurity about how to behave around the parents of his girlfriend. He was a strong man, but he couldn't hide this.

Darren Monroe had offered to show Danny and their friends the rooms where they would stay during their vacation. Hannah used the chance tp wrap an arm around her daughter's shoulder, walking a bit with her.

"I hope your father didn't tell you that I acted like a crazy because I wanted everything to be perfect for today," she said.

Lindsay chuckled. "Actually he told me that you were acting like a crazy right after we agreed to meet."

"Isn't really a surprise though, right?" Tightening her arm around her daughter, Hannah smiled warmly. "I know we encouraged you to take this chance, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish you back onto this farm ever since the day we brought you to the airport."

"Believe me, I missed you as well. I love New York, but there'll always be a special place for Montana in my heart." She took a deep breath of the fresh air. "The smell of trees, flowers, animals...I think even the wheat has its own smell."

"I bet it does," Hannah laughed. "And I bet your boyfriend and your friends will need their time to get used to it."

Lindsay smiled. "Actually I think they already love it here. Believe it or not, but they got really excited when we finally arrived in Montana. Then again that could've also been because they were glad we didn't have to sit in the car all the time anymore." She paused. "What do you think of them?"

"They're all sweethearts," Hannah answered, her smile widening. "But I had no doubts about that. Jess really is the way you described her. She could be your sister. Her way to smile and the fact that she's so excited and friendly is definitely something you have in common. She really fits to Don as well. And Danny...one look at him and you see how much this man is in love with you. I hope he's not afraid of your Dad. Because Darren really is looking forward to getting to know him."

"I think he's afraid of the whole situation, to tell you the truth," Lindsay admitted.

Hannah nodded, her face turning more serious now. "I realised he was very polite. Almost seemed hesitant and afraid. Is it the normal respect men have for their girlfriend's parents? I hope he doesn't still believe we have a problem with him."

Lindsay sighed lightly. "Don't ask me how many times I told him not to worry and that you'll love him. I think he understood that by now, but...well, can you blame him? He was pushed from one foster family to another. Why? Because his parents are criminals." She shook her head. "I don't get why people would treat a child like that just because of its parents. He was an innocent child! He's such a sweetheart. No surprise he constantly fears people might think the worst of him. Even though he managed to be accepted at NYU and now is such a talented baseball player."

"We'll show to him that we like him the way he is," Hannah promised. "But don't be too worried when he's nervous or doesn't know what to do. He has no idea how it's like to be part of a family. He needs to get used to it."

Lindsay nodded. She could feel an all too familiar lump in her throat as she thought about her mother's words. It still pained her that her boyfriend had no idea how it felt like to have a family; people who he could turn to whenever he needed to.

"Did I tell you I was the first one who ever said 'I love you' to him?" she asked. "Can you imagine that? Not once while he grew up, anyone ever told him that. I had to face such rough times with Damien and later with what happened to the girls. But at least I always had you guys. I don't want to imagine how it's like to grow up and there's no one who loves you." She shuddered.

"Don't think about it so much," Hannah told her. "He has you now. And us. He'll learn how it's like to have people around him who care."

She paused, but Lindsay hadn't missed the glance in her mother's eyes. "What is it?" she asked.

"You know that Damien's still living in Bozeman, right?" Hannah asked then.

Lindsay shrugged. "So what? I don't care for him anymore." She offered a tiny smile. "Mom, I know how I was like when I moved to New York. But a lot happened since then. I have a wonderful best friend who's like a sister for me. I have a boyfriend who loves me the way I am, who was so patient because he wanted to prove to me that he's not like my ex. I'm not the woman I was when I got accepted at NYU. I might meet Damien. Who cares?"

Hannah smiled brightly. "And I can't tell you how proud I am of you." She embraced her daughter tightly. "You're tough, but I always knew that. And now go upstairs. I'm sure your boyfriend is waiting for you."

Chuckling, Lindsay nodded. She had been nervous, not knowing how it would feel like to be back. But she hadn't been lying. She was together with Danny, she had lovely friends. The people from her past didn't matter anymore; their opinion wasn't important.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind you and Lindsay will have her old room," Darren said as he pushed the door open. Jess and Don were already busy with unpacking in the guest room. He couldn't deny he was still nervous, especially now that he was alone with the older man. Arriving at the farm had been a strange experience. The Monroes had been welcoming, but Danny couldn't help himself; he was constantly paying close attention to what he did, what he said. Those were the parents of his girlfriend, and he couldn't help the feeling that he had to try even harder to impress them after all they had learnt about him in the past.

"No, it's perfectly fine," Danny answered with a smile. Stopping midway in the bedroom, Darren turned around, raising an eyebrow at Danny.

"Do me a favour, Danny," he said. "Stop walking on egg shells, alright? Lindsay's honest to us. She told us you had your problems with serious relationships before she met you, that you were pushed from one foster family to another and that your parents are in jail. Still we invited you. Do you think we'd have done that if we had a problem with you? Yeah, we might be polite, but believe me, if I thought you weren't worth being my daughter's boyfriend, I'd have come straight to New York and made sure you move to another country."

Danny stared back at Darren, unsure on what to reply. The man looked at him with a serious expression until he broke out into laughter.

"Calm down," he said, patting Danny's shoulder. "You're welcome here. She told you about Damien I guess? That boy came from a fine, perfect family. He was everybody's darling at school. You'd think such a guy would be the dream of every mother and father. But you know what an asshole he is. It doesn't matter where you're coming from. All that matters is who you are. I know you love my daughter and I know you're making her happy. Stop thinking about every word you speak. Just be yourself, okay? We're not perfect either. No one is."

"Yeah, that's true." Danny nodded slowly. The expression in Darren's eyes told him the man was serious. He didn't hide his opinion. It was safe to believe he really didn't mind him at all.

"Thanks, Darren," he answered. "I'll try my best."

"Yep, and within no time, you'll not just feel comfortable, you'll also realise what a crazy family I have," Lindsay said, causing the two men to turn around. She laughed at the look Danny gave her. "You need any help with unpacking?"

"I guess that means I'm supposed to go downstairs, huh?" Darren winked at them. "See you later for lunch."

With that, he left the bedroom, closing the door as he did so. Lindsay studied her boyfriend with a smirk before she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Danny's neck.

"So, you and my Dad seem to get along well so far," she said.

He smiled. "At least he seems to have no problem with me."

"Yeah. No one here does. I hope you'll understand that with the time," Lindsay told him, gently running her fingers along his jawline. She captured his lips softly, smiling back up at him then.

"And how is it like to be back?" Danny wanted to know. His hands came to rest on her hips and he pulled her close against his chest. He loved the way she snuggled into him, her arms tightening around his neck. They didn't have to do much; just standing there, gazing into each other's eyes could be a stunning, intense moment.

"It's great to be back," she said. "There are so many nice places I want to show to you. I'm sure you'll like it as well. You'll become a real Montana fan."

"I am already fan of Montana," he whispered into her ear, smirking at his girlfriend. He didn't know how she managed to do it; in one moment, he was nervous, in the next he had forgotten everything else around him and all that mattered was her.

"Is that so?" she asked. Leaving their former place, her hands slid down his chest ever so slowly. He couldn't help but shudder at the soft, teasing touches.

"Montana," he said, smirking at her. "Someone's having something naughty in mind?"

She smiled back at him innocently. "Oh yeah? It rather seems to be you who's having the naughty thoughts here. Although..." Her hands toyed with the hem of his shirt before one of them slid under it, brushing over the warm, tight skin of his belly. Once again, he felt shivers running up and down his spine and an all too familiar heat started to build in the pit of his stomach.

"Montana, we're at your parents' house," he whispered, trying to hide how affected he already was. The sparks in her eyes, mixed with her smirk, told him though that she had figured that out already.

"So? Are we not going to touch each other all the time while we're here?" she wanted to know, ever so deliciously keeping on brushing her fingers over his smooth skin.

"I...don't know," Danny managed to say.

Lindsay chuckled, in a way that sent new shivers up and down his back. "Relax, okay? My parents know we're adults with needs."

"Adults with needs, yeah?" Danny couldn't help but grin at her words. "So you're still expecting me to seduce you?"

"Who says you're the one who's doing all the seducing?" Before he could do anything, Lindsay quickly pulled his shirt upwards and before he knew what she was doing, she had freed him of it and tossed it somewhere behind him. Instantly, her hands wer back on his chest, her fingers drawing feather-light, lazy lines on his exposed skin. There was no way for him to deny that he was aroused by thanks to her little ministration and if they hadn't been at this farm, he would have grabbed her already.

"Just relax," Lindsay whispered, placing a soft trail of kisses along his neck.

Danny suppressed a moan at the sensation. "You have no idea how sexy you are."

"I think you do know how sexy you are," she answered, smirking against his skin. "We're supposed to be downstairs for lunch, but until then, we could at least do some...teasing. You know?"

Glancing down at Lindsay, Danny found her looking back at him with passion sparkling in her eyes. Yet there was this shy smile, showing him she still had to learn to be more confident. She was right; they were adults, they were in love. Everyone would understand that.

"Then why don't you show me what you have in mind?" he asked her.

Grinning in response, Lindsay took his hand and pulled Danny over to her bed. They were supposed to relax and enjoy this vacation. So far, that was working pretty well.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey! Is anyone still here who's interested in this story? ;) Here's a new update finally! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Special thanks to RandomTVFan30, DeathDaisy and afrozenheart412!**

* * *

The warm sunshine was finding its way into the small bedroom, drawing long lines on the hardwood floor. Outside, he could hear the singing of birds, the rushing of the tall tree in front of the bedroom windows. In his arms, he could feel his girlfriend, and he could sense how happy she was right now.

Of course Danny had been curious when Lindsay had asked him if he wanted to visit her family on their farm in Montana. So far, he had stayed in New York mostly; he only knew the large city, and what could be found in the surrounding area.

Montana was so very different to what he knew; he had already seen that in the various pictures and videos Lindsay had shown to him. But Danny didn't mind. He was curious, looking forward to getting to know her old home.

Now they had arrived and indeed everything was different, but in a good way. He enjoyed the fact that even the air in Montana seemed to be nothing like in New York; it smelled fresh and clean, with a scent of nature.

It was a whole new experience to him. In the past, if someone had asked him to go on vacation with them, he would have suggested a big city. Probably Las Vegas; he and Don had often imagined how they would go to Las Vegas, party for a couple of days and then head back home. Probably with a lot less dollars than they had owned at the start of their trip.

Now he found himself on a farm; a real farm. A big house, the barn, animals, wheat fields, forests, mountains in the distance, a long highway that barely seemed to be used. Danny couldn't imagine himself growing up in such an area. He could clearly see Lindsay doing that though.

His girlfriend growing up on a farm, riding on the back of her horse, running around in the woods. The image of that warmed his heart, and quickly, he tried to push away all the other information he had. He loved the image of his happy girlfriend growing up on this farm, although he knew that even in Montana, not everything was perfect.

Ever so gently, he continued running his hand up and down her back. They had arrived just half an hour ago, had unpacked most of their stuff. Their heated kisses had made him long for more, but even though he had never been taught that, he was polite and knew that in the house of his girlfriend's parents, he wasn't supposed to do anything that could offend them. At least not yet.

But this didn't mean they couldn't lie down in her bed for a bit, simply relaxing a bit after their long journey, enjoying some closeness without anyone else being around them. Danny had enjoyed the long road trip with their best friends. But he would be a liar if he said he hadn't been longing for being together with Lindsay on their own, at least for a few hours. Going for walks hadn't been the same. He loved being around his friends, but every couple needed their private time.

Enjoying how Lindsay snuggled further into him, wrapping her arms more tightly around him, Danny let his eyes wander through her bedroom. It wasn't big. But every corner of this room was filled with evidence that it was hers. He didn't think it had to do with the bed, the closet or the desk themselves. It had more to do with what she had added to them.

The desk was clean, yet it was still filled with a lot of stuff he knew she liked; books, pens, paper, everything being prepared for the case she wanted to do something. One of the cupboards was filled with books as well, and a lot of other stuff. She liked to be clean and organised, yet he knew his girlfriend got excited by stuff easily and he had always suspected she had loved to collect things.

What caught his attention the most was the fact that there were no posters of celebrities or bands attached to her walls. He had seen her Whitesnakes shirt once, but that was probably the only fangirly item she owned. Instead the walls of her room were covered with photos; photos of Montana, of the farm, of animals. The wall above her bed was covered with photos of her family members, of herself and of three girls who he expected to be her friends. He believed this wall meant the most to her by far. And there were pictures of New York as well.

It also said a lot about Lindsay in Danny's eyes. She had attached to the walls what she cared for the most. It was clear that the most important people were her family members. He knew she was close to them; they understood her, knew her, and even though he was nervous to meet her brothers and get to know her parents, he wanted to have longer talks to them about her, trying to get to know her even better through that.

Then there were her friends and he wasn't surprised the pictures were still there. Even after what had happened to those three friends, she wouldn't want to put those pictures away.

The pictures of Montana showed what he knew even though she wouldn't speak it out; she was proud of being from Montana. She was a country girl through and through. The pictures of New York showed her dream, and he knew that the huge city was her home as well now. But he was aware of the fact that Montana would always have a special place in her heart, would always be the place she had grown up, the place she would want to visit as often as possible.

He didn't mind. To his own surprise, he had no problems with spending all of their vacations in this state. Las Vegas wasn't that appealing anymore. A lot more he loved the beauty of Lindsay's smile which Danny had spotted as she had realised they had arrived in Montana and then when she had seen the farm for the first time. They belonged together and he didn't mind to have two places he would call his home one day. Especially as 'home' had never really been something he had experienced in his past.

"May I ask what you're thinking about?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Danny glanced downwards. He hadn't noticed how Lindsay had rolled onto her stomach, was bracing herself on her folded arms now to glance up at him.

"Such a polite question?" he asked back with a smile. The sight of his girlfriend never failed to warm his heart. She was the perfect mix of cute and sexy; a mix that never failed to drive him crazy, to turn him on like nothing else and make her love endlessly.

She chuckled. "I chose to ask carefully because I know guys hate to be asked about what they think."

"You can ask me everything you want." Bending forward, Danny captured her lips in a loving kiss. "I was actually thinking about you. That's a beautiful room. I especially love all the pictures."

Rolling onto her back again, Lindsay allowed her eyes to wander through the room as well. "Yeah, and every picture has a story. I know, it surely seems strange to you that I have so many of them, but I love pictures."

"I love them, too. They tell a story about you," Danny replied, gently tightening his arm around her to pull her closer again. "I'm glad you have so many pictures. They remind you of a lot of nice events and all. I bet your parents have even more of them in albums."

He couldn't help himself; as his thoughts reached this point, he could feel a lump building in his throat. He had few to no pictures of his childhood, and those few he owned he hid like a treasure, fearing they could disappear. He couldn't deny he wished he owned such a picture wall as well, but then again there wasn't much he wanted to portray on it. Pictures of those short time foster families would possibly only increase the pain. It was another moment in which Danny realised that in fact, he had raised himself.

As Lindsay turned back around to him, Danny could see in her eyes that she had understood completely what he was talking about. It was her turn to kiss him softly before she offered another warm smile. "Guess what? I know that won't be the same as having pictures of your childhood," she said. "But we'll take loads of pictures out here. And then of everything else we'll do back in New York. We'll make you your own picture wall." With a wink, she added, "And I'll add all those pictures to mine as well. Because hey, they'll include the both of us."

"Sounds good to me," Danny answered. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her on top of him. The smirk she gave him caused him to raise his eyebrows. "What do you have in mind now?"

"I told you I'd show all my favourite places to you and our friends, right?" Lindsay asked back. As he nodded, she added, "Well, I also have some places I'd specifically like to show to you." She moved closer, causing him to shudder as he felt her move on top of him. "Places where no one can interrupt us. You know."

"Someone's having naughty thoughts again?" Danny asked, with a growing smirk of his own.

"Seems like I learnt from the best." Lindsay laughed. "And don't be shy. My parents know I'm an adult. So do my brothers. I'm in love. Plus no one knows about my favourite places but me."

"I guess then I'm looking forward to seeing them," he answered, enjoying the heat the closeness to her caused deep within him. "But now I think I'm longing for some nice lunch."

She laughed even more. "I knew you'd say that. It's so easy to read a man's mind."

Chuckling himself, Danny used the moment to study Lindsay as she glanced back at him. She fascinated him; he kept on realising that over and over again. It had been a good choice to come and visit her old home.

* * *

As Hannah Monroe was setting the table, her good mood seemed to increase with every moment. It felt so good to have her baby girl back at the farm, and even more to see her so happy with her boyfriend. Lindsay had told her a lot about Danny already. Hannah knew he was perfect for her. She was looking forward to getting to know him better.

Same counted for her daughter's friends. They seemed to be nice, especially the other young woman. Hannah knew her daughter; one glance into her eyes and she had seen that she had found herself a new best friend. For Hannah, this was yet another wish coming true.

Hannah's constant smile widened as she heard footsteps approaching the dining room. She wasn't much surprised as a friendly smiling Jess entered it.

"Mrs. Monroe, I was wondering if you need any help maybe?" she asked.

A chuckle escaped Hannah. "Oh, Jess, please, don't be so polite. Call me Hannah. And you know you're my guest. You don't have to help me."

"I'd love to though," Jess answered, stepping closer. "Danny and Lindsay are still in their room, and Don fell asleep." She rolled her eyes playfully. "The man can't take anything. It was just a road trip."

"Men. They're driving us crazy, yet we love them the way they are," Hannah said with a wink.

Jess laughed. "So very true." She picked up the plates Hannah had placed on the table. "So you don't mind if I help you a bit?"

"Not at all," Hannah answered. As Jess started to place the plates at the right spots, she used her chance to watch the young woman for a couple of moments. She had liked Jess right from the start, and wanted her to be aware of that. "I was hoping my daughter would find a few friends in New York," she added. "And now she found someone great like you. The moment I saw you together I knew you're close. That's what I was hoping for. I was looking forward to meeting you ever since she said you're close like a sister to her."

Jess's cheeks flushed lightly. "Well, I'm glad she sees me like that, because I'm feeling like that myself." She paused. "That might sound odd, but I never had a female best friend. It feels good to know I can talk to her about everything. And that she even took me with her to meet her family."

"And you're a welcome guest in my house," Hannah replied. She chose not to add more, seeing how Jess was visibly affected by her friendly words. More words weren't necessary anyway as they could hear footsteps once again.

"I was wondering if lunch's ready," Don said as he entered the dining room as well.

Raising her eyebrows at her boyfriend, Jess suppressed a chuckle. "You know, I came in here and asked if I could help. You don't think that's more polite than asking if lunch is ready?"

Don shrugged, offering an apologizing smile. "Well, I thought it's polite as well. After all it's a compliment because the smell is so delicious."

Hannah laughed at the exchange between those two young people. She was glad to see that Danny made Lindsay so happy and that she had two other great friends as well. She knew neither of them would mind if she made suggestions for what they could do during their vacation on the farm. They all would spend time together and she was eagerly looking forward to that.


End file.
